Mercedes boss Toto Wolff refusing to talk to Michael Masi as FIA now decide on race director's future

Michael Masi and Toto Wolff — Photo: © LAT Images

Mercedes - FIA

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Wolff refusing to talk to Masi as FIA now decide on race director's future

Mercedes boss feels Masi's decisions robbed Hamilton of eighth F1 title

Ian Parkes

Thursday 16 December 2021 18:00

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has revealed he has no intention of speaking to Michael Masi after accusing the FIA race director of a "catastrophic" decision that robbed Lewis Hamilton of an eighth F1 world title.

Masi's contentious decision making over the final few grands prix of the campaign cast a shadow over a remarkable championship battle between Hamilton and Red Bull rival Max Verstappen.

In Wolff's eyes, and despite the passing of time, he remains stunned by the calls Masi made in the closing stages of Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that led to Verstappen taking his first title.

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Asked by GPFans if he had spoken to Masi over the past few days and whether he had faith in him to continue in his role, a disgruntled Wolff said: "I am not interested in having a conversation with Michael Masi.

"The decisions taken in the last four minutes of the race brought Lewis Hamilton off a deserved world championship.

“His driving, particularly in the last four races, was faultless. He had a commanding lead on Sunday in Abu Dhabi from the get-go. He won the start and he never gave the lead away again.

“Robbing him in the last lap of the race is unacceptable. That is why, from a personal standpoint, from a professional standpoint, I cannot…my values, my sense of integrity just aren't compatible with the decisions made on Sunday.

“And it is up to the FIA going forward to decide how these decisions, how these situations can be avoided.

“I would have been totally okay with Max and Red Bull winning the championship on Sunday, and this situation is nothing to do with Max.

"He is a worthy champion, his driving is exceptional and Red Bull are a fierce competitor and I have the greatest respect for the people working there. This has nothing to do with them.

"But I would have loved to sit here and have avoided all these discussions and the damage that has been done to the sport by integral, sporting and fair decision making on Sundays and the FIA needs to decide how they are going forward.

“We had a good dialogue with the FIA over the last few days. The commission that it has set in place I trust and have faith we will formulate together with all competitors, the drivers and the other teams, the right decisions and actions to avoid such a scenario in the future.”

Masi made a "catastrophic" call - Wolff

Suggested to Wolff that naming a new race director was a possible way forward, he replied: "It's not only a decision to change the race director. The whole system of decision making needs to be improved.

"The race director is certainly under big pressure and some of this is due to our own faults.

"I would have wished more consistent decision making that would have avoided many of the controversies throughout the year, but the last one was a decision that had the biggest impact.

"From a sporting perspective, it was a catastrophic impact because it decided the world championship.

"But you can see all season it went back and forth, and we were on the receiving end sometimes and sometimes we were luckier.

"I have confidence together, all of us together, the teams, the drivers, the FIA and the sport can revamp the way decisions are being made and make the sport stronger.

"I think these situations, as painful as they are, are also an opportunity to make the sport better."