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1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve believes Michael Masi should not be removed. The Canadian race driver-turned-TV pundit told Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport that the FIA Race Director acted under pressure from the team principals that caused him to make errors.
Explaining Masi’s condition during the race, Villeneuve said:
“Michael Masi should not be removed. He worked under pressure with the two team principals, in particular Toto Wolff, who kept shouting in his ears for the last five races.”
The Canadian opined that Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was to be blamed indirectly for the pressured decisions made by the Race Director. The Austrian was heard dominantly influencing safety car and virtual safety car decisions over the radio throughout the Abu Dhabi race.
Villeneuve also believes drivers could have been allowed to unlap themselves a lap earlier. He said:
“He did everything right, or almost right, after that Safety Car. The only downside was he could have had everyone split a lap earlier, but it was right to restart the race.”
While Masi’s decisions have influenced championship outcomes and stirred controversy and drama, the chaos over the radio from both team principals has been criticized by many. One reason for the strong criticism, in particular, has been not all drivers being permitted to unlap themselves before the Safety Car period ended.
Michael Masi might be a ‘sacrificial lamb’, feels Martin Brundle
As the FIA investigates the incidents of the Abu Dhabi race, heavy speculation surrounds the future of Masi’s continuance as a Race Director in the sport. Sky Sports F1 commentator Martin Brundle believes the Race Director could be axed as a result of the controversy to save the image of the sport.
Speaking on a Sky Sports TV show, Brundle said:
“[Michael Masi] might be the sacrificial lamb. What’s really important here for the FIA and for Formula 1 is that this is not swept under the carpet and just left for a few weeks and then overtaken by the new 2022 cars, and the tests, and what have you. We need to understand what happened and why it won’t happen again.”
According to the former F1 driver, fans and the sporting fraternity as a whole will need an explanation of the events and reassurance that the fiasco from Abu Dhabi will not be repeated.
