Michael Masi, who was removed as Formula One chief of racing last year for managing the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, has left the FIA, the sport’s governing body said.
“The FIA confirms that Michael Masi has decided to leave the FIA and move to Australia to be closer to his family and to pursue new challenges,” the FIA said in a statement.
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“Following the sudden death of Charlie Whiting in 2019, he oversaw a three-year tenure as FIA Formula One Racing Director and Safety Delegate, carrying out the numerous roles assigned to him with professionalism and dedication.”
Masi was heavily criticized for the sequence of events that led to Max Verstappen passing Lewis Hamilton to snatch a record eighth title from the Brit.
Masi requested the safety car for the last lap and then controversially allowed the closing marks to be exchanged between race director Hamilton and Verstappen himself.
That led to a one-lap shootout between Hamilton and Verstappen, who had a huge advantage with fresh tires on his Red Bull car.
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The Dutchman used it to amazing effect as he picked up Hamilton in his Mercedes to seal the title.
Both Mercedes and Red Bull pressured Masi to make decisions that would have helped their driver.
The former were outraged because they believed Masi was following their rivals’ suggestions.
The team immediately filed two protests, both of which were denied. Hamilton, while graceful in defeat, had made his feelings all too clear as he passed his Dutch arch-rival, saying on his team radio: “That’s been rigged, man.”
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff raised the possibility that Hamilton could even leave the sport.
Wolff claimed a “disillusioned” Hamilton would “never get past the Abu Dhabi conclusion”.
Both boycotted the season-ending gala dinner at the FIA’s Paris headquarters, where Verstappen was duly crowned world champion.
However, Hamilton bounced back and is currently sixth in the standings, 99 points behind leaders Verstappen at mid-season.
Since the controversial end of the race in Abu Dhabi, the FIA has announced measures to relieve the race director and also changed the way it communicates with him.