 of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing is congratulated by runner-up in the race and championship Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP during the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 12, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mario Renzi – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)</p>
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Race winner and 2021 F1 World Drivers Champion Max Verstappen (right) of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing is congratulated by runner-up in the race and championship Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP during the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 12, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mario Renzi – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
What happened in Abu Dhabi?
Hamilton had led the race from the start until a safety car period with five laps to go.
Masi then failed to follow the rules correctly in at least two ways – to do with lapped cars and the timing of the restart.
Masi’s position and actions are at the centre of the FIA inquiry, with many F1 insiders believing his position is untenable following his errors in Abu Dhabi – and further controversies at previous races.
FIA head of single seaters Peter Bayer, who is leading the inquiry, has hinted that Masi will not remain as race director in 2022.
When the race was restarted, Hamilton – on old tyres – was passed by title rival Max Verstappen’s Red Bull – on fresh ones – and the championship changed hands.
The race director has discretion as to whether lapped cars are let through to unlap themselves – but the rules state that “any cars that have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car”.
Masi ordered only the cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to overtake but left any between the rest of the top six where they were.
In addition to that, the rules dictate that once the lapped cars are let through, the racing will start “at the end of the following lap”, whereas Masi restarted the race immediately.
Mercedes appealed against the result of the race in Abu Dhabi, but the stewards rejected their appeal on the grounds that a subsequent article in the rules states that once the message “safety car in this lap” has been displayed, the race director is obligated to start the race at the start of the next lap.
But many senior figures accept that the two articles in question – 48.12 and 48.13 of the sporting regulations – are intended to work in tandem. In other words, the lapped cars are to be let through, and the message about the safety car coming in displayed during the following lap – not that one supersedes the other, as the stewards argued.
It is believed Masi took the decisions he did because he was trying to accede to an agreement made with the teams that races should not finish under the safety car if at all possible. (BBC Sport)
