Stefano Domenicali - F1 race director cannot be replaced by decision "committee"

Formula 1

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Domenicali - F1 race director cannot be replaced by decision "committee"

F1 will race with a new race management team this year

Sam Hall

Friday 18 March 2022 09:15

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali believes a committee approach cannot replace the decisions of a singular race director after the events of last year's season finale resulted in a number of changes to the sport's race management.

The FIA has introduced a new race management system for the coming season with Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas replacing Michael Masi as alternating race directors.

Herbie Blash also returns as a permanent senior advisor with a remote virtual race control, similar to VAR in football, in position to further assist with the decision-making process.

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Asked if this was the right solution as it feels more like a committee, Domenicali told Sky Sports: "We don't have to forget that the steward is the ultimate judging committee that will formalise all the results in the race.

"Race direction has to be an entity organised in a proper way, but the race director is a person who has to take the right decision and they can make the right decision if they are well supported [and] if they have all the tools that are available for them to make the judgement.

"I do believe that what you are saying is totally in line with my thoughts. You don't have time to make a committee, you need to make sure that all that you have around you is enabling you to make the right decision."

Masi "under a lot of pressure"

The events of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix were just the tip of the iceberg with teams complaining of inconsistent decisions throughout the year.

"I have to respect the fact that we are not the FIA, we are not the regulator," said Domenicali when asked if removing Masi had been the right decision.

"I think that from the perspective of protecting the people, I believe that the way to protect someone that was under a lot of pressure for what happened maybe took the outcome that was taken.

"I want to see the facts on making sure that the FIA as the regulator of the sport will be able to start this weekend in the best way they can in terms of giving to the race director and all the people involve in the decision-making process, stewards and so on, the right tools to do the best job that they can."