F1 News: Toto Wolff hits out at 'EGOMANIAC' who made F1 return this season

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Wolff hits out at 'EGOMANIAC' who made F1 return this season

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff targets Michael Masi with scathing criticism for his controversial call during the 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi

Originally written by Yara Elshebiny. This version is a translation.

Thursday 4 April 2024 03:00

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has targeted Michael Masi for scathing criticism for his controversial call during the 2021 season finale.

The 2021 F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi remains one of the most dramatic and controversial moments in the sport's history. Lewis Hamilton, seemingly on course for a record eighth world championship, was denied victory on the very last lap after a controversial decision by then-race director Masi that gifted the win and the title to Max Verstappen.

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The Dutch driver benefited from a late-race safety car period triggered by Nicholas Latifi's crash. The crucial error came when Masi allowed only the lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves on the penultimate lap, setting up a one-lap shootout on fresh tyres for Verstappen. This, later deemed a "human error" by the FIA, ultimately gave the Dutchman the advantage to claim his first world title.

Masi was then sacked as race director in February 2022 following his mishandling of the season title decider. However, this hasn't settled the issue for the Mercedes boss, as he voiced his criticism of the Australian's actions that denied Hamilton a record-breaking eighth world championship, which would have placed him ahead of the legendary Michael Schumacher's seven titles.

Wolff calls Masi a "pathological egomaniac"

"When I think about it again, it's so unfair what happened to Lewis and the team that day," Wolff said.

"And that one individual didn't follow the rules and just let it happen.

"He is a totally unimportant person: he lives on the other side of the world and nobody is interested in him. He really was an utter pathological egomaniac."

Max Verstappen Mercedes F1 Toto Wolff Michael Masi