Mercedes and Red Bull sniping 'not frustrating' for FIA

British Grand Prix

Mercedes and Red Bull sniping 'not frustrating' for FIA

Both teams were in contact with Masi after Hamilton and Verstappen's incident

Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale

Sunday 25 July 2021 08:00

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FIA race director Michael Masi has insisted he holds "no frustration" over the barrage of radio calls made by Red Bull and Mercedes in the aftermath of the first lap incident at the British Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen collided at Copse when battling for the lead and with the Dutchman in the barriers, an irate Christian Horner lambasted the Mercedes driver's racing conduct when talking to Masi.

This prompted a call from Toto Wolff, as well as Red Bull team manager Jonathan Wheatley and Mercedes sporting director, Ron Meadows, each trying to point score with the incident under investigation by the race stewards.

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Asked if there was any frustration over the relentless sniping, Masi replied: "No frustration, that is part of what they do.

"It comes in various waves depending on what it is. They are all... everyone's looking after their own little patch of turf, so to speak, which you would expect.

"From my perspective, I treat them all equally and try to balance up what we have got to do and set certain priorities in your own mind of what you have got before you.

"You need to prioritise accordingly. There were a couple of times there, be it with Mercedes-Benz or with Red Bull at the time where I said just hang five and I will get back to you, which happened earlier which you probably didn't hear, you only heard the one that was broadcast."

F1 title battle "fantastic" for the sport

Hamilton was handed a 10-second penalty for his part in the incident, with Red Bull hoping for harsher punishment given its driver was out of the race.

Masi confirmed any outside influence is negated by the race stewards, who judge any incident by what happens on track itself.

"As a regulator, particularly when you have got such a close championship which is fantastic for F1, you have got two magnificent drivers fighting it out for a world championship, as a regulator, you are always going to come out like any referee in any sporting competition at all," explained Masi.

"There is always going to be an element of it but whatever sniping might happen between Mercedes and Red Bull behind the scenes is not of concern to us.

"We judge it on what happens out there on the sporting field, on the track in our circumstance."