F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix final lap: Masi v Wolff - who was right?
He delivered one of the cheekiest put downs in motorsport history but was the Australian race director in the middle of a major F1 backlash right or wrong?
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It has already been tagged as one of the cheekiest put downs in motorsport history.
In a sport where everything happens at high-speed, Michael Masi’s curt explanation to Toto Wolff about the chaotic ending to the Formula One season was priceless.
“Toto, it’s called a motor race,” Masi quipped.
Masi’s response, which came in the heat of battle when everyone’s emotions were running high, left the normally chirpy Mercedes team boss speechless and is already trending as a meme on social media, where the Aussie race director is being slammed by his critics and also hailed as hero by his supporters.
“I think that response he provided to Toto Wolff will go down in Formula One folklore,” Motorsport Australia chief executive Eugene Arocca told News Corp.
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I leave you with Michael Masi’s radio to Toto Wolff post race#F1#AbuDhabiGP#LewisHamilton#MaxVerstappen#F1Finalepic.twitter.com/ymIJzhKd3a
— Mr Matthew F1 (@NotMrMatthewF1) December 12, 2021
I would pay top dollar for a Toto Wolff vs. Michael Masi boxing match
— Matt Gallagher (@MattyWTF1) December 12, 2021
“I think that pretty much sums up the man. He would have been under the pump, he would have been under pressure.
“It was the last race, the last few laps, the two protagonists were going at it hammer and tongs and he kept a cool head and in our view he made the right decision.”
Arocca is in Masi’s corner but not everyone agrees the Sydney-born administrator made the right call when he restarted the race with one lap to go and Max Verstappen, on fresh tyres, shot past Lewis Hamilton to win his first world drivers’ championship.
But Arocca said the critics did not know what they were talking about because Masi had done everything by the book and was operating in a high-pressure environment.
“Most of the ordinary, everyday public has no concept of what goes on in race control,” Arocca said.
“They might see snippets of it on television, they might hear audio from time to time, but it is the most demanding professional position that you can think of because this is one of the most exhilarating, exciting and dangerous sports in the world.
“We’re not talking about officiating in the bunker at a cricket match, we’re talking about 24 cars going around at speed, competing for a championship at the highest level, with some of the biggest personalities and individuals and teams and billions of dollars at stake.
“And there could be no better man to sit in the role than Michael Masi.”
The 42-year-old was fast-tracked to the role of Formula One race director in 2019 after the sudden death of Charlie Whiting, who had been his mentor.
Masi was already one of Australia’s top race directors, having worked in V8 Supercars and the world rally championship, as well as cutting his teeth on the global stage on Formula Two and Formula Three, where he was being groomed to take over.
His most ardent critics have called for him to be sacked in the wake of the drama-charged ending to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix but that’s unlikely to happen because Arocca said the Australian still has the unwavering support of the people that matter most within the sport.
“He’s got a really measured, respectful, intelligent approach and if you want anyone in the hot seat, he is the man,” Arocca said.
“Michael’s done it tough for three years. He stepped up to the plate and he’s managed that championship through the pandemic in a way which should make all Australians, including the armchair experts, very proud of what he’s done.
“He’s going to cop some heat and there will be more appeals but you’ve got to remember that these decisions have already been appealed and thus far have been upheld so it’s not just him that’s made the decision.
“I don’t think he’ll get too wound up by what they say on social media because he didn’t get to where he got by being thin skinned or sensitive.
“He’s stood up to some of the biggest personalities and egos and he’s able to still command their respect and he will still command the utmost respect going forward.
“It’ll be water off a duck’s back. He’s a good man, he’s a great Aussie. We should be behind him and to all the armchair critics and peanut throwers from the gallery, just give him a break.
“He’s done a fantastic job and there’s absolutely no doubt about his integrity, intelligence and loyalty. He’ll ride this one out because he is a fantastic ambassador for Australian motorsport.”
DID HE MAKE THE RIGHT CALL?
No one ever wants their biggest moment overshadowed by controversy.
Sadly for Max Verstappen the saga surrounding his maiden F1 title win will be long remembered.
It wasn’t the finale we had all hoped for.
In fact 54 laps of it proved pointless in the end.
Sure, there was drama. Just as Lewis Hamilton seemed guaranteed his eighth title, Verstappen took advantage of a crash by Nicholas Latifi that effectively set up a one-lap dash for the title.
And that final lap brought with it more chaos than some entire races have this season.
But what happened in the stewards room afterwards and looks set to be argued out in court is not the way we want these things to end.
And the man at the centre of it all, copping furious feedback, is Australia's Michael Masi.
The F1 race director charged with making the calls that ultimately decided the most entertaining season in years.
Many have backed him while other big names have slammed him specifically for his decision to only let half the lapped cars pass in order to let Hamilton and Verstappen race.
Former Mercedes driver and world Champion Nico Rosberg was vocal about Masi’s decisions but also had sympathy for a man making such big decisions.
“It’s the fact they let half of them un-lap, and then also it says by regulation you need to wait another lap to then do the start,” he said.
“So there’s a lot of things where he [Masi] didn’t follow the rules.
“You’ve got to feel some compassion for him (Masi). He’s got the whole world watching and he has to decide in the next 15 seconds what he’s doing.
“It’s the last lap of the last race of the world championship, that is the ultimate, most high-pressure situation in the world, and he took his decision which gave us beautiful awesome racing and an incredible finale.
“We need to be careful. Michael’s job this year has been so unbelievably difficult to manage this intense battle.
“Michael needs support this winter, there needs to be progress over frameworks and guidelines and we should be in a better position for next year.”
Lando Norris, who was one of the drivers to un-lap themselves, said: “I’m not too sure what was said from the FIA.
“At first we weren’t allowed to overtake, as the backmarkers, so if that influenced decisions to Mercedes and to Lewis and that’s the reason they didn’t do their pit-stop.
“But then the FIA suddenly changed their minds and they were allowed to let us past. That’s where I’m not so sure. For it to end like that, I’m not so sure.”
So does Mercedes have a case?
THE FINAL LAP
Verstappen and Hamilton, who began the race level on points, started that lap wheel to wheel but the 24-year-old Red Bull driver pulled away to take the chequered flag.
Hamilton had been coasting towards bettering Michael Schumacher’s seven world crowns, prompting Red Bull team principal Christian Horner to say: “We need a miracle.” It came in the unlikely shape of Latifi, who crashed his Williams, with Verstappen promptly pitting for fresh tyres.
When the Red Bull emerged from pitlane there were five lapped cars between himself and Hamilton.
MAKING DECISIONS
There was a lot hanging on the shoulders of race boss and Aussie Michael Masi.
Was the safety car coming out?
Were the lapped cars going to be allowed to unlap themselves (as stated in the rules)?
The initial decision was that no lapped cars would not be allowed to pass.
It was then overturned clearing the track for them to race
“Why are we not getting these lapped cars out of the way?” Christian Horner asked.
“Just give me a second, my main aim is to get this incident clear,” Masi replied.
Eventually, the decision was overturned clearing the way for Hamilton and Verstappen to race with no cars between them.
It was on.
Defend as he might, Hamilton’s tyres were 44 laps old, and it was no contest after Verstappen made his move on turn 4.
The grounds for a protest is that had lapped cars not been permitted to pass, Hamilton would have won the title.
WHAT MERCEDES ARE ARGUING
“Michael this isn’t right,” Toto Wolff said desperately over the radio. “You need to reinstate the lap.”
“Toto it’s called a motor race,” Masi replied.
Mercedes lodged two complaints immediately after the race. The first claiming Verstappen had broken safety cars rules by overtaking Hamilton.
Replays show Verstappen pulling alongside his rival and just edging ahead of him as they went into turn 12 while under safety car.
Punishment for this code breach is often a five second penalty - which would crown Hamilton champion.
The second complaint was directed at the FIA and Mercedes’ view that they broke their own rules by not adhering to guidelines on safety car enforcement. (Article 48.12). this relating to the cars between Hamilton and Verstappen after the latter pitted.
While Hamilton was humble in defeat and congratulated his rival, his brother Nicholas took aim at the FIA on Instagram.
“The FIA broke their own rules, which is a disgrace to our whole sport,” he wrote.
“Nevertheless, regardless of being mistreated today, the Hamilton’s were humble in defeat.
My father, the guy who raised us, congratulating Max & his father Jos. People can say what they like, but my Father’s gesture proves all of the doubters & haters wrong & shows who we are as ‘The Hamilton’s’.
“Proving people wrong is in our DNA, which Lewis does on a daily basis. With utter professionalism & decency in defeat, even though we all know, that he was let down by the sport that he has given so much to.
“Congratulations to Max for such a fantastic season from him.”
GREATS WEIGH IN
ALAIN PROST
“It’s going to be commented in terms of the rule about the safety car. Very difficult for me to have clear judgment, I can understand they are not going to be happy about that. It was exceptional for the show. Always going to be controversial. I try to feel the happiness for Max and the sadness for Lewis.”
DAMON HILL
“If they [Mercedes] can prove the rule was wrongly applied then they have got a case, but I don’t think any of the regulations are blindingly clear.
“Unfortunately, messages were coming out [from the race director] that were contradictory. I do think this championships has been run in a different way - they have tried to let the racing happen and race on track to the very end.”
DAVID COULTHARD
“This is a complex sport. None of us like the decisions taking place in the stewards room when the champagne has been popped. In hindsight, could the stewards have done a tidier job? Yes. Has there been something played out which is controversial? Yes. This is a really difficult decision.”
MARTIN BRUNDLE
“Wow! The racing Gods have shined down upon Red Bull. Red Bull played a smart hand with the safety car, and took their chance. This was the best season I’ve ever seen with a wild finale. There will be a lot of debate about the controversy about the end. Max Verstappen’s tears and emotion shows what it means.”
JENSON BUTTON
“Staying out was the right thing for Lewis Hamilton to do, but sometimes it just doesn’t go your way.”
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Mercedes’ appeals against the result of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which saw Verstappen win the world championship, were rejected by stewards.
However, Hamilton’s Mercedes team announced their intention to lodge one final appeal against the result.
Mercedes refused to speak with media afterwards.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner joked he would have to start attending races with a barrister if things continued to be taken to the stewards.
“We never wanted to end up in front of the stewards,” he said.
“We don’t go racing with barristers. It was a shame it ended up there but the stewards made the right call.
“We have talked about ‘let them race’. Niki Lauda was the guy who pushed hard for it and we’ve always talked about not finishing races under safety cars. The race director in difficult circumstances made absolutely the right call.”
WHAT THE DRIVERS SAID
Daniel Ricciardo
“I’m honestly a bit speechless. I don’t know what to make of all that.
“Just when you think the season could not get any more dramatic, it does. I don’t even know if this is good because I think people’s TVs are just going to explode, I don’t think it can handle that much drama, I don’t think the watts on a TV can handle it. It was a lot.
“Obviously on one side I want to congratulate Max, first-time world champ, and obviously Red Bull, a team I know very well, I am of course happy for them. But I can’t say that in the same sentence and not say I feel for Lewis because he had the race under control and sometimes it doesn’t swing in your favour, the safety car – I mean it didn’t not only swing in his favour, it obviously cost him the title. I obviously do feel for him, so yeah, it’s a crazy end to the year.”
Lando Norris
“It’s very tricky. I don’t know what decisions were made based upon things stewards said in the first place. Apparently they said lapped cars weren’t going to be allowed to overtake, if that then made Lewis or made Mercedes make the decision to not box, but then later on they suddenly said, ‘Oh now they’re allowed to overtake’, then I guess that’s not acceptable. So I don’t know what was said or what was done. Controversial end, that’s what I can say.
“I’m happy for him. I congratulate him for what he’s done this season, because I don’t believe he’s had the better car all season.
“I think the Mercedes has been the better car throughout the majority and Max has been more unlucky and he’s made less mistakes as a driver. He’s fought hard and he’s fought Lewis, who is a lot more experienced, won many world championships and so on.“I also congratulated Lewis, because he’s also had an amazing season and done many things very, very well to go for a championship, so respect to both.”
Fernando Alonso
“Today he was lucky; without safety car Lewis was world champion and with safety car Max is world champion so it’s a pure luck thing what happened today. And it’s going to be a big topic I guess but if you take the 22 races as I said on Thursday, any of the two could be a world champion. I think more than any other year, if you can split the trophy in two, this was the year to do it because both of them were outstanding.“Sure (I feel sorry for Lewis) because Lewis was driving at another level, especially the second part of the championship. The Mercedes was a faster car, yes, but Valtteri (Bottas) was not second, it was Lewis putting that performance. So when you lose the championship because of a safety car in the last moment, for sure you feel a little bit sorry.”
Sebastian Vettel
“Everyone has an opinion, I think leave the stewards alone, it’s tough enough as it is.
“Ideally we’d like more consistency but there’s also a human side, so it’s probably difficult to get it 100 percent right, but it has to be our target, so we need to see what we can improve.
“But I don’t think it has been any better or any worse than the past, with the exception of the fines for reprimands, in terms of cash, that’s just unnecessary; I think it looks stupid to ask for 10,000, 15,000, 25,000… I would like to see the receipt what happens with the money.”
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