Michael Masi sacked from position of FIA Race Director

FIA, Michael Masi

Ahead of the 2022 season of Formula One, the FIA Director, Michael Masi has been replaced from Formula One with speculations on Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas, who recently have worked in the World Endurance Championship and DTM respectively, to alternate the race director’s role.

The controversial end to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has still remained to be one of the hot topics of discussion even during car launches for the new era with never seen before technical regulations, the following controversy was mainly due to the decision taken by Michael Masi who wouldn’t have wondered would cost his job at that point.

Initially Michael Masi had said that lapped cars would not be allowed to overtake during the safety car period but eventually let lapped cars overtake during the last lap of the 2021 season on the Yas Marinas track which gave an advantage to Max Verstappen and led him to win his maiden World Championship.

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Later on, Michael Masi received a lot of hate and support at the same time from many spectators and also highlighted the loose ends in the F1 rule book as well. Michael Masi’s future in F1 was decided during the FIA committee meeting held in London, last week along with the decision about the Abu Dhabi mishap which has not been announced yet.

Michael Masi removed from post of FIA Race director

Several of Masi’s decisions during the 2021 Formula One season were subjected to scrutiny from press, teams and drivers. He was mainly criticized for his decision in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and the Belgian Grand Prix followed by the most controversial, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The 44-year-old was appointed by the FIA as Formula Two and Formula Three deputy race director, as well as F1 race director Charlie Whiting’s deputy in 2018. Masi shared this role between Grands Prix with Scott Elkins, who would go on to become the race director for Formula E and the German Touring Car Championship. Masi took over as Formula One race director after Whiting died unexpectedly just before the 2019 Australian Grand Prix.

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