FIA Tired of Apologizing for Lewis Hamilton Injustice at Abu Dhabi 2021 as Ben Sulayem Teases Michael Masi Return

Sabyasachi Biswas | 29/11/2023
FIA Tired of Apologizing for Lewis Hamilton Injustice at Abu Dhabi 2021 as Ben Sulayem Teases Michael Masi Return

Formula 1 fans have still not forgotten the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, a race in which Lewis Hamilton lost the title to Max Verstappen in arguably the harshest of fashions. Even though a certain section of the fans still have a painful memory of the race, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is reportedly planning on making yet another controversial decision. He is planning to bring back Michael Masi, the man who made the “human error” during the race in Abu Dhabi.

The frustrations were so high for Hamilton and Mercedes after the race that they even planned to go to court to object against Masi’s decision. Amid the increasing pressure, the FIA decided to remove Masi from his position as race director following an internal investigation. Despite the same, Ben Sulayem, who is tired of apologizing for the event, has suggested that he could bring Masi back to F1.

Ben Sulayem said as per The Independent, “The poor guy is a person who has been attacked and abused. Michael Masi went through hell. Hell! And if I see there is an opportunity that the FIA needs and Michael Masi is the right person, I will bring him.”

How did Lewis Hamilton react after losing the title in 2021?

There was nobody more hurt than Lewis Hamilton after the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion was just a lap away from scripting history. The loss hurt the Briton so badly that he even had to reevaluate his relationship with the sport.

There were reports about Hamilton leaving the sport after 2021 as he went quiet for months. The Mercedes driver was absolutely untraceable.

He opened up about this with ESPN in 2022 where he said, “I think a lot of people underestimate what it takes to be a world champion and there are so many moving parts. It is not just turning up and driving the car.”

Post Edited By: Vidit Dhawan
Lewis Hamilton Michael Masi Mohammed Ben Sulayem

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Sabyasachi Biswas

Sabyasachi Biswas is an F1 journalist at The SportsRush. With over one and a half decades of love for the sport and five years of experience in the field, he dreams to be a regular at the paddock when the lights go out. A Red Bull fan and F1 fan in general over the years, he enjoyed watching Felipe Massa, Sebastian Vettel, and Max Verstappen dominate the track. Apart from F1, he's also a big-time Madridista and Federer fanatic. He was a sub-junior level footballer, won inter-district quizzes and debate competitions back in school. A travel freak throughout, he tries different cuisines and learns new cultures whenever he's away from the keyboard.

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