“Can’t please everyone” – Esteban Ocon claims F1 race director Michael Masi took the right call at the right time

Esteban Ocon has defended the FIA after the Abu Dhabi controversy, claiming that the F1 race director Michael Masi made the “right call at the right time” within the limited time he had.

Speaking in a post-season interview with GPfans, the Alpine F1 driver said:

“There are so many rules. The book of FIA is huge. I didn't even read it completely, obviously. It's difficult to judge, it's difficult to have the right call at the right time. There are so many things happening in the races, so I don't know.”

“Obviously, I know where you're coming from. You're talking about that last incident as well and things that happen in the year overall. It's how it is. It's a sport in the end and it will always fall from one side or another. You can't please everyone, unfortunately.”

Ocon believes F1 is unique compared to other sports such as football, and that it’s hard for the FIA stewards to judge events as they have to look at “a lot more things” than just a simple white line.

Max Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton on the very last lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to clinch his maiden F1 world championship. However, the safety car restart which enabled Verstappen to overtake Hamilton has been the source of much controversy.

Immediately after the race, Mercedes lodged a protest and accused race director Michael Masi of taking unilateral decisions that go against the sport's regulations. The race stewards, meanwhile, dismissed Mercedes’ protest and ruled that Masi had acted within his powers.

Amid intense backlash from the F1 community and calls for more accountability by teams and fans alike, the FIA has formally started an investigation into the controversial incident and is expected to publish its findings by mid-February.

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The FIA might budge under pressure and relieve permanent F1 race director Michael Masi of his duties

While the FIA has opened a formal investigation into the Abu Dhabi incident, calls for Michael Masi to be demoted from his position as race director haven't stopped.

Media reports from earlier this week have claimed that Lewis Hamilton is waiting for the FIA’s investigation to conclude before making a decision on his future in the sport. This implies that Hamilton might decide to walk away if he is not satisfied with the findings of the investigation, or the subsequent actions.

With former FIA president Jean Todt quitting after last season’s conclusion, incumbent Mohammed ben Sulayem has been trying to get in touch with Hamilton in an effort to convince him not to quit. So far, Hamilton has rebuffed Sulayem’s attempts and has maintained silence over his future.

Amid increasing speculations that the seven-time world champion might decide to say goodbye to sport after being “disillusioned” at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the FIA has come under pressure to take concrete action ensuring that the Abu Dhabi debacle isn’t repeated in the future.

Furthermore, rumors circulating on social media have suggested that the FIA and F1 agreed to Masi’s sacking in return for Mercedes dropping their legal challenge to Max Verstappen’s F1 world title.