Max Verstappen calls the dismissal of race director Michael Masi unacceptable. The Red Bull Racing driver believes he was thrown under the bus by Formula 1, when the sport itself initially allowed team members to “scream in his ear” while making decisions.
Masi came under fire after last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Australian made some notable decisions during a late Safety Car spell, playing a big part in the championship’s outcome. His role as race director was jeopardized, but a large part of the Formula 1 world also stood up for him. For example, on various audio fragments it could be clearly heard that both Red Bull Racing and Mercedes were trying to influence its decisions. Earlier this month, the FIA announced that Masi will be replaced by Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas.
Thrown under the bus
Verstappen has a clear view on the matter: “I don’t think it’s right”, it sounds to, among others GPFans† “Everyone always tries to do their job to the best of their ability and everyone can always use help. We drivers also have a whole team behind us. I think it’s very unfair what happened to Michael. He was thrown under the bus. People are talking a lot about what has been decided in Abu Dhabi, but can you imagine a referee hearing the coach yelling in his ear all the time that it must be a yellow card or a red card. It is impossible to make a decision.”
Flaw at Formula 1
Initially, according to Verstappen, it went wrong with Formula 1 itself: “They have allowed team members to talk to him while making decisions. It must be Michael who makes the decision, without anyone in his ear. yells. The people who fired him are the people who allowed it in the first place. To me that is unacceptable. I feel very sorry for Michael, because I thought he was a very good race director. I have nothing against the new race directors, I think they are also perfectly capable of doing it, but personally I felt very sorry for Michael.
Wrong decision
The Red Bull Racing driver calls it a wrong decision: “After Charlie’s death [Whiting] it’s hard to imagine someone like him. Charlie had a lot of experience, but also had help around him. Maybe Michael needed a little more help, but everyone needs experience. I also came in as a rookie, but now I’m so much further along. I think it would have been the same for Michael. It wasn’t the right decision, but I wish him the best with what he’s going to do now and I hope it’s better than being the race director in Formula 1.”
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