Masi got here below hearth for the best way he dealt with the closing levels of the 2021 season finale, the place he ended the protection automotive interval simply in time to allow a final-lap showdown between title rivals Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
It allowed Purple Bull driver Verstappen, who was on more energizing tyres, to make a last-gasp go on Mercedes rival Hamilton for the lead and with it clinch his maiden drivers’ crown.
The critics felt Masi had not adopted the principles in Abu Dhabi on two counts, having neither allowed all lapped automobiles to unlap themselves nor left sufficient of a niche till the restart.
The FIA performed an investigation into his dealing with of the race and concluded that he had acted in “good religion”, even when there was a “human error” on his half in not letting all lapped automobiles rejoin the again of the sphere.
Masi was dropped from his put up as F1’s race director even earlier than the investigation had been accomplished and later break up with the FIA altogether, with the governing physique happening to make a variety of adjustments to its process in an effort to keep away from a repeat of the incident.
Though the furore concerning the 2021 title decider has died down through the years, partially resulting from Purple Bull’s dominance below new laws and Mercedes’ subsequent decline in type, the Yas Marina race stays one of the controversial occasions in current sporting historical past.
Michael Masi, FIA
Picture by: Erik Junius
In an interview performed final yr for The Formulation e-book, Wolff as soon as once more hit out on the Australian, saying it’s “unfair” how his actions tilted the title battle away from Hamilton.
“After I maintain my ideas operating with it, it is so unfair what occurred to Lewis and the workforce that day, {that a} single particular person breaking the principles has principally let that occur,” Wolff mentioned.
“Regardless that he is utterly irrelevant: he lives on the opposite aspect of the world and no person is all in favour of him.
“He was actually a complete, pathological egomaniac.”
In its investigation, the FIA famous that Masi had taken under consideration the wishes of F1 stakeholders, together with groups, to finish races below green-flag circumstances and keep away from anti-climactic security automotive finishes.
Wolff admitted there was a showbiz aspect to that yr’s Abu Dhabi finale, however feels Hamilton was “robbed” of a file eight drivers’ title in a transfer that left an enduring influence on the historical past of F1.
“It is the drama and glory, which makes the game so compelling,” he mentioned. “Everybody noticed the drama of a worthy eight-time world champion that was robbed of his title.
The Security Automotive leads Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M, Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521, and the remainder of the sphere
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos
“I might slightly have it completed the opposite approach round, however clearly that is a mark in historical past.”
On the finish of final yr Hamilton admitted he did briefly take into account retiring from F1 within the wake of the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, however finally determined to increase his profession in grand prix racing.
The British driver described the occasions that adopted the instant aftermath of the race, as he joined newly-crowned champion Verstappen within the parc ferme, because the “defining moments” of his life.
“Was I robbed? Clearly. You recognize the story,” Hamilton instructed the GQ journal. “However what was actually lovely in that second, which I take away from it, was my dad [Anthony] was with me. And we might gone via this enormous curler coaster of life collectively, ups and downs.
“And the day that it damage probably the most, he was there, and the best way he raised me was to all the time arise, maintain your head excessive.
“I clearly went to congratulate Max, and never realising the influence that that may have, but in addition I used to be actually aware of [that] there is a mini-me watching. That is the defining second of my life. And I believe it actually was. I felt it.
“I did not know the way it was going to be perceived. I hadn’t visualised it. However I used to be positively aware of: These subsequent 50 meters that I stroll is the place I fall to the bottom and die, or I stand up.”
