For the first time since the Abu Dhabi GP, the FIA has admitted that a change of Formula 1 Race Director is possible.
During a recent interview Peter Bayer, the newly appointed head of Formula 1, admitted that the a change of race director is possible. “Michael did a super job in many ways, we told him that. But also there is a possibility there could be a new race director”.
This is the first time that the FIA have said publicly that Michael Masi’s position is under threat.
Since Abu Dhabi, Masi has been under pressure, due to the way he dealt with the closing stages of the 2021 title decider which lead to Max Verstappen winning his first Drivers Championship at the expense of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes.
It has been largely accepted that Masi did not follow all rules/processes properly, leading to alot of negative attention aimed at both Masi and the FIA.
The fallout from the Abu Dhabi GP lead to the FIA launching an investigation, calling it a clarification exercise and also promised to involve drivers and teams.
Although the investigation has not concluded, there are rumors that the FIA will restructure the Race Director Role, putting a buffer between the Race Director and the teams, stopping the direct lobbying, heard during the season finale, this would allow the Race Director to concentrate on the race.
With the investigation now in full swing, let’s hope that the FIA can implement changes to allow the F1 world to concentrate on the racing.