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F1 commentator Martin Brundle has asked fans to calm down in light of new footage that has emerged of Red Bull's coercion of FIA Race Director Michael Masi.
The sport's fans on social media have been outraged after videos surfaced online showing Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley pressurizing Masi over the radio.
Brundle, a former F1 driver who now covers races for Sky Sports, shared his thoughts on the entire episode during a panel discussion on the channel. He said:
“It’s not new news, as Craig [Slater] pointed out, and I also think you have to understand it’s not necessarily telling Michael Masi something he didn’t already know. For example, on a wet day in Spa, you don’t let the cars go all the way around and catch that... pack up the crocodile as I call it in commentary and it is something I would have said on the day.”
Brundle went on to say that it was not feasible to get all the lapped cars to unlap and join the bunch as there wasn't enough time. He added, saying:
“I’m pretty sure and I’ve said it many times before, you know, it takes too long. It would take too long out of the race if you let them find their way. Especially if there is still an incident on the race track when you have released the lapped cars. At Monaco, they might catch back the pack, whatever. Let’s not assume it’s giving Masi information he didn’t already know in terms of what he could and couldn’t do with the lapped pack.”
Masi's decision cost Lewis Hamilton a possible eighth world title and, as a result, his fate in the sport is subject to an internal investigation by the FIA.
2022 F1 cars 'twice as safe' as last year's, claims FIA technical delegate Nicholas Tombazis
The new F1 cars to be used in 2022 are 'twice as safe' compared to their 2021 counterparts. These are the claims of FIA technical delegate Nicholas Tombazis.
Safety has been one of the primary concerns for the sport, all the more so since Romain Grosjean's fireball crash at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix.
In an interview with Auto Motor und Sport, Tombazis said:
“The new cars will be about twice as strong on the sides as their predecessors because the cars will be stronger and heavier in 2022, they will have to pass a heavier load test. “In the suspension area (of the mock-up car), there is a hidden ridge under the fairing. Certain impacts could cause localized damage and damage to the driver’s feet. That is why the shape (of the suspension) was strongly regulated there so that the structure is better protected.”
Meanwhile, Mercedes have confirmed they have passed all the necessary crash tests required to have their W13 chassis homologated ahead of the new season.
