Formula 1 earthquake: race director fired - video evidence introduced!

Created: 02/18/2022, 05:45 am

By: Marco Blanco-Ucles

Need to speak: Michael Masi (centre) is no longer Formula 1 race director and has been fired.

© Andrea Diodato/Imago

Backing chairs in Formula 1: Michael Masi was dismissed as race director.

A German will be his successor.

There is also another rule change for the new season.

Paris - Spectacular news in Formula 1*.

As the new FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem announced in a video message on Thursday, Michael Masi is no longer the Formula 1 race director. The reason for the dismissal was the highly controversial Formula 1 final in Abu Dhabi.

As a successor, Ben Sulayem presented a duo: Eduardo Freitas - former rally director and the German Niels Wittich - former DTM race director - will take turns at the races in the future.

The new race management will be used for the first time during the test drives in Barcelona.

Freitas and Wittich are supported by Herbie Blash.

He acts as a "Senior Advisor".

However, Masi has not fallen completely out of favor.

The Australian has been offered a new job within the FIA.

Ben Sulayem expressly thanked Masi for the services, who had held the job since 2019.

At that time he was presented as the successor to the surprisingly deceased Charlie Whiting.

Formula 1: race director Masi lost his job as race director at the 2021 World Cup final

The controversial World Cup final on December 12 ultimately cost Masi his job.

With his decisions, the Australian made it possible for Max Verstappen* to overtake competitor Lewis Hamilton* and thus become world champion*.

Incriminating recordings of radio traffic between the command center of the Verstappen team Red Bull + and Masi had recently appeared.

There you can hear how the racing team describes the scenario to the race director, which happened immediately afterwards.

However, the video message did not only contain the news of Masi's dismissal.

Ben Sulaymen also announced that he intends to use a video referee - comparable to that in football - in the future.

The World Cup final was also the trigger for this.

The FIA ​​President received the support of the team bosses and Formula 1 Managing Director Stefano Domenicali for his proposal.

(mbu/dpa) *tz.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.