“It is not just about replacing the race director”: Firing Michael Masi not enough for Toto Wolff as he feels bigger issues need to be addressed

After Lewis Hamilton lost the driver’s title, Toto Wolff believes that the whole decision-making system needs improvement.

Lewis Hamilton lost what could have been a historic eight world championship in the Abu Dhabi GP. The controversial decisions made by Michael Masi left many fuming along with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. 

FIA race director made an ad-hoc decision over the safety car procedure in the penultimate laps of the race. This decision essentially handed the win to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and along with it gave him his maiden title. 

On the other hand, the decision also took away from Lewis Hamilton his eighth world championship which up to that point, the Briton pretty much had in the bag.

 

However unjust you think it is to take a championship from Max, it’s arguably more unjust to have taken it away from Sir Lewis Hamilton via unacceptable race direction. Both are unfair, so why should Max matter more than Lewis?#WeStandWithLewisHamilton pic.twitter.com/ufJVnuBhPv

— Bryson Sullivan 🇺🇲 (@NaturalParadigm) January 15, 2022

Since the Abu Dhabi GP, many have called upon the resignation of the race director Michael Masi. Toto Wolff, however, feels that simply firing Masi is not enough.

“It is not just about replacing the race director. The whole decision-making system must be improved. It’s one thing to drive hard and have a different point of view between drivers and teams, that’s normal.”

“But inconsistent decisions inevitably lead to controversy, much of it totally unnecessary,” said Wolff.

Also read:  Mercedes boss fears Lewis Hamilton departure would damage the reputation of the sport as a whole

Not the first Michael Masi mess up

Michael Masi made a bunch of controversial decisions throughout the 2021 season. The exchanges between him and Mercedes and Red Bull at one of the several restarts of the chaotic Abu Dhabi GP were definitely unorthodox.

Masi basically bargained grid positions between the two teams following an incident at the earlier restart. Such an exchange was unprecedented. However, no decision of his was as big or contentious as the one he took right before the final lap of the race at Yas Marina.

“This last decision had the biggest impact, and from a sports perspective, it was catastrophic because it decided the World Championship,” said Wolff.

 

Sir Lewis Hamilton arriving at the 2022 Bahrain GP like: pic.twitter.com/IqB7Db0sy6

— ///M-Bouy💙❤️ (@MohlaleGCR) January 8, 2022

The FIA is working on what may be considered a ticking time bomb. The governing body seems to have bought itself some time by scheduling the deadline of their final decision into the inquiry of the events in Abu Dhabi right before the inaugural race of the 2022 season.

Sources close to Lewis Hamilton said his decision on whether or not to continue in F1 relies heavily on what decision is arrived upon by the FIA.

Also read:  Former world champion urges Lewis Hamilton’s fans to show some backbone after Abu Dhabi GP title snub