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“We can’t forget he had to fill Charlie Whiting’s shoes”: Sergio Perez and Red Bull don’t want the FIA to sack Michael Masi based on just the call he made in Abu Dhabi

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"His car is not in an ideal condition, it is a bit damaged": Red Bull advisor admits that Sergio Perez crashing on Friday has left the entire team very worried

Sergio Perez and Red Bull call for the FIA to not remove Michael Masi from his position as Formula 1 Race Director. 

Masi’s position in F1 has been under fire ever since the infamous 2021 season finale. Lewis Hamilton looked set to win his eighth Title before a late safety car followed by Masi’s controversial decision making took it away from him.

He asked all the lapped cars in front of Max Verstappen to pass the safety car, leaving Hamilton defenseless against the Red Bull driver’s faster and fresher tyres. Then, right before the final lap, Masi restarted the race and Verstappen comfortably passed the Brit to win his first Championship.

Mercedes and Hamilton were furious with how things unfolded in Abu Dhabi that evening. Plenty of other drivers and figures in the sport, called for more clarity in terms of rule making. Above everything, it seemed that Masi’s days in F1 as Race Director were numbered after the amount of backlash he received.

Earlier this week, F1 teams and the officials of FIA met up to discuss a plan of action in terms of rules for the 2022 season.

Also read: Max Verstappen suggests Lewis Hamilton to move on from Abu Dhabi heartbreak

Red Bull feel that Michael Masi did a good job considering the bigger picture

While we don’t know about Masi’s departure for sure, it has been widely speculated that the Aussie will be sent packing. Red Bull driver Sergio Perez and advisor Helmut Marko don’t want this to happen.

Perez and Marko feel that the 44-year old did a good job throughout the season. They don’t think he should be sacked based on just one ‘questionable’ call that didn’t favor the Mercedes team.

“People are very serious about it. But I think we should continue to support Michael. He’s done a great job. We can’t forget he had to fill Charlie Whiting’s shoes,” Perez said. Marko meanwhile, took a different approach to explain his point of view.

“The primary purpose of the investigation is to clarify that Masi was simply overwhelmed in that situation. And that the team bosses cannot continue to interfere with race management over the radio,” the 78-year old said.

“Everything should be clearer. I think the FIA will try to relieve the race management a little more,” he added.

Also read: Christian Horner claims this F1 change will not allow Red Bull to set new pitstop records

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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