Michael Masi Replaced after FIA review

protonv5 · Feb 17, 2022

Figures. He's the fall guy. He received so much pressure from the team bosses, I think he did his best. Why are the teams allowed to talk to him in real time during a race? Who's idea was that?
Anyway, if anyone needs replacing it's Toto Wolff and Christian Horner.

BeloborodOFF · Feb 17, 2022

And what we have now?
FIA is under one team, that' all. The value of the championship has dropped dramatically. I hope they will publish worthy material on this event with a full justification for their decision.
Just imagine: the final race in 2022. For example, Hamilton and Leclerc fight for the title.
What will race directors think? The fact that any decision is not in favor of Lewis = bullying = dismissal.
In my opinion, Michael should have been given a chance.
Otherwise, now we have a situation in which, in fact, the FIA admit their guilt and reduce the value of Max's title.

Wilson Oliveira · Feb 17, 2022

I don't know Niels Wittich but regarding Eduardo Freitas, I don't think you could ask for someone better at that role.

Damage Inc · Feb 17, 2022

I feel sorry for Masi, he's the sacrificial lamb to appease the baying mob. I voted no becuase he could have been a part of the new team.

Jonny Austin · Feb 17, 2022

I think it was under estimated how good that Charlie Whiting was as Race Director.
The approach to the job needs to be more like Edoardo Freitas from the WEC & ELMS.He just hands out penalties & reads out information.No conversation required.The back chat from the teams has ended in the bullcrap that happened in Abu Dhabi

Freitas might be a good replacement for Massi

zwiss · Feb 17, 2022

There should be at least 2 m of GRASS between the road and the concrete run-off area's at every corner.
This will put 50% less pressure on any race director.
And put the kamikaze 'I respect no one' driving style back to F3.

Ryan Soucy · Feb 17, 2022

Damage Inc said:
I feel sorry for Masi, he's the sacrificial lamb to appease the baying mob. I voted no becuase he could have been a part of the new team.

Mercedes screwed up by not pitting Hamilton at the beginning of the last safety car. But changing the application of the rules after everyone made their strategic calls threw the race knowingly in one direction. If it was Masi's call, he's no sacrificial lamb. He took a gamble to create a motor race and failed. (Because pitting one car in second on new tyres against one with 35 lap old tyres is NO motor race. So dumb.)

If he'd left lapped cars between the two he could have gotten the spectacle and drama without throwing the title at one driver.

Ryan Soucy · Feb 17, 2022

Essentially, Masi threw a NASCAR "competition caution" after one car had pit. I think Christian must have promised him a private performance with ginger Spice...

dave kirk · Feb 17, 2022

People acting as though this was rigged lol, there was massive inconsistency all year, with decisions going both ways, jeez we even had a decision earlier in the race that went Lewis' way and people were saying that Masi was a Merc lacky

Mandoliino · Feb 17, 2022

So they finally admitted what Masi did was wrong and Hamilton is the real champion.

Justice has been half-served.

norbs · Feb 17, 2022

Mandoliino said:
So they finally admitted what Masi did was wrong and Hamilton is the real champion.

Justice has been half-served.

What a ridiculous statement. The cult of #blessed is alive, and not very bright.

JayOTT · Feb 17, 2022

Jonny Austin said:
I think it was under estimated how good that Charlie Whiting was as Race Director.

Yet if social media was mainstream back in the 00's, #FireWhiting would've trended multiple times. Drive through penalties for being crashed into:

Or for running wide but being well ahead before that point:

Wrong calls that completely ruined a driver's race, and they were hardly isolated incidents.

Lwand · Feb 17, 2022

Poor Michael ....
Was it the right decision? Maybe not. Was it a bad decision? No ... we want to see racing, and this could have happened in any of the 20+ races, and the points there could have decided the championship.

I dont believe that kind of wheeling and dealing is a new thing. I just dont think the public can handle hearing it being broadcast live. So the biggest change is that they now no longer will broadcast this.

Also if Charlie Whiting was still with us, and had made a similar decision about what to do, noone would have dared question him ... he would have folded them into a barrel and rolled it down Radillon, and people would have applauded.

schlitty · Feb 17, 2022

dave kirk said:
People acting as though this was rigged lol, there was massive inconsistency all year, with decisions going both ways, jeez we even had a decision earlier in the race that went Lewis' way and people were saying that Masi was a Merc lacky

This.

Today a lot of Max fans who spent most of the 21 races before the finale calling for Masi's "maFIA" head will call this a move to placate Mercedes focusing only on the finale. And a lot of Mercedes fans will call this some kind of vindication, again only focusing on the finale. But it was a body of work from Masi throughout the whole season. He failed on two fronts; Consistency and decisiveness. He was too situational and always too slow. It isn't an easy job, but he inserted himself into the drama far too much last season by being those two things. Doesn't help that they opened Pandora's box by letting us listen in. Now when we don't hear things it is ALWAYS going to be a conspiracy one way or the other. Best of luck to the next dude!

dave kirk · Feb 17, 2022

schlitty said:
This.

Today a lot of Max fans who spent most of the 21 races before the finale calling for Masi's "maFIA" head will call this a move to placate Mercedes focusing only on the finale. And a lot of Mercedes fans will call this some kind of vindication, again only focusing on the finale. But it was a body of work from Masi throughout the whole season. He failed on two fronts; Consistency and decisiveness. He was too situational and always too slow. It isn't an easy job, but he inserted himself into the drama far too much last season by being those two things. Doesn't help that they opened Pandora's box by letting us listen in. Now when we don't hear things it is ALWAYS going to be a conspiracy one way or the other. Best of luck to the next dude!

exactly my friend

AYEYEBRAZ0V · Feb 17, 2022

Masi was completely unfit for the role he played. Looks like any time he had the oppurtinity to do something wrong, he did.
I hope a big balls guy replaces him, a guy not scared by Wolff and Horner, talking them as an equal and not as an employee. Someone who applies the rules and not scared of the consequences (also because Masi got fired being completely harmful for the sport).
Not penalising Hamilton in a hard way at Silverstone was something horrific, giving points in Spa even worse, penalising Verstappen in Monza was absurd, they were side by side and Hamilton closed the way twice and, I underline, I have no simpathy for Verstappen
Letting Masi there for 2022 would have mean a very dangerous situation for the drivers.

JoeSchmoe · Feb 17, 2022

As F1 continues its inextricable swirling down......... Should have never "broadcast"............. Will anyone really want the job?

eco2006 · Feb 17, 2022

"Direct radio communications during the race, currently broadcast live by all TVs, will be removed in order to protect the race director from any pressure and allow him to take decisions peacefully."
Good decision, i think that was a big part of the problem.

graham123 · Feb 17, 2022

They should use this as a water shed.. To make rules, rules ..IE track limits (four tyres over the curb, ANY curb is a infringement) not as and when FIA think so... Now I've opened that can of worms ....I'm off

WiisardNic · Feb 17, 2022

JayOTT said:
Yet if social media was mainstream back in the 00's, #FireWhiting would've trended multiple times. Drive through penalties for being crashed into:

Or for running wide but being well ahead before that point:

Wrong calls that completely ruined a driver's race, and they were hardly isolated incidents.

I agree with you about the sentiment of your post, but that second one is a penalty every day of the week.

Michael Masi Replaced after FIA review

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