Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes 'astonished' that Michael Masi could make a return to F1 - Reports

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes were surprised at the fact that Michael Masi could make a return to the sport, according to a report by the Daily Mail. The British publication had previously published an interview with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, where he mentioned considering bringing the former Australian race director back.

After the interview was published, a source close to Mercedes spoke to the Daily Mail saying:

“[Lewis] Hamilton and his nearest advisers were ‘astonished’ to read the comments and spoke about the situation via urgent phone messages after the story broke. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was also furious and made his strong opposition to [Michael] Masi’s rehabilitation known internally.”

A report from an earlier interview with the Daily Mail suggested that Ben Sulayem was open to bringing Masi back into the system. The FIA president also made it clear that he would not fire the former race director due to pressure from Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton. After the interview with the British publication came out, the Briton’s advisors and Mercedes insiders were surprised by some of the statements made in it.

Masi's sacking by the FIA was viewed by many as controversial and portrayed the sport as a weak entity, buckling down to the pressure of the team and driver. Ben Sulayem’s recent demeanor with Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton, however, suggests otherwise.

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FIA President does not want a fight with Mercedes or Lewis Hamilton

At the Miami GP weekend, the war between FIA and Lewis Hamilton over wearing jewelry while racing was the highlight of the weekend. While both sides expressed their opinions, the story spiraled into a cold war between the two parties. The Daily Mail, however, reports that Mohammed Ben Sulayem doesn't intend to fight the seven-time world champion or Mercedes but to reinstate the position of the FIA as a regulatory body.

The report also carried information about the situation within the team, stating:

“Somebody close to the scene told Sportsmail that [Mohammed] Ben Sulayem ‘does not want a fight’ but ‘is simply aiming to restore the FIA to its rightful position, nothing more or less’.”

According to the aforementioned report, a source from the sport spoke to them, saying:

“Over the last few years the FIA has been marginalised and Ben Sulayem wants to return it to its old role. He doesn’t want anything himself, financially or in any other way. He maybe feels that Toto [Wolff] has got a little ahead of himself. It’s not up to Toto to run Formula One.”

Toto Wolff’s recent criticism of Michael Masi has also drawn flak as his team struggled to find performance from their car while the Austrian was still not over the events of the Abu Dhabi GP from last year. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton has currently been given a deadline until Monaco to remove his jewelry and studs or face a fine or penalty points to his license. Nevertheless, according to the Daily Mail report, it seems the interview with Ben Sulayem is about to be the topic of discussion at the Spanish GP weekend.