McLaren drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris have come out in support of underfire Formula 1 race director Michael Masi, as the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix still remains a hot topic, more than two months since it took place.
Both agreed that Masi needs more support in his role after he came under attack from all sides for his title-deciding safety car call in the 2021 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Masi sparked controversy with his decision to alter the safety car procedure that moved only the lapped cars between race leading Lewis Hamilton and second-placed rival Max Verstappen out of the way after a late-race crash.
The decision set up a last-lap showdown between the two rivals and allowed Verstappen, on fresher tyres, to pass Hamilton and deny the Briton an unprecedented eighth title.
“Potentially Michael needs a bit more support and especially now with a growing calendar,” Ricciardo told Reuters TV during the launch of the McLaren MCL36.
“We’re also human and you go through fatigue and Michael is not just rocking up on a Sunday, being part of the race and then going back home. He’s going to every track before, checking out also for other things whether it’s safety or whatever. So his schedule is nuts,” explained the Aussie.
Norris:I support Michael
Like his older colleague, Norris was on the same page: “I support Michael. As a driver, the obvious thing we all want is consistency and when things are inconsistent, like we saw in Abu Dhabi, that is when people get annoyed and frustrated.
“We take decisions – the team takes decisions – upon that consistency and rules so if something has shifted or changed, that will annoy certain people. But it is so hard. You see us make mistakes as drivers and it is the same with the stewards. It is human to do that when something happens so quickly.
“A lot of the things Michael has done in the past season or two have been great. It is just about ironing out these small things that can have a big impact, which is not something we want.”
F1’s ruling body the FIA will present the results of its inquiry into the final laps of the race – which denied Lewis Hamilton an eighth world championship – to the Briton’s Mercedes team at a meeting of the grid’s major players on Monday.
It was suggested that Mercedes dropped their appeal against the result of the Abu Dhabi race in a quid pro quo agreement that Masi would be removed by the FIA – an accusation the Silver Arrows have denied.
Formula 1 ran a 22-race season in 2021 and is set for a record 23 rounds this year
Masi, the only other high-profile Australian in the sport other than Ricciardo, stepped into the role of race director after the sudden death of the respected Charlie Whiting in 2019.
Apart from running the on-track sessions, his job includes safety-related responsibilities like track inspections and visits to new circuits to sign off on their layout.
The sport’s governing FIA is conducting an investigation into the Abu Dhabi finale whose outcome will be put before a meeting of the Formula One commission on Monday.
Final decisions are expected to be announced at the World Motor Sport Council on March 18, the same day as Friday’s first practice session for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel on Thursday said he hoped Masi, whose future is in question, would stay.
Ricciardo acknowledged the pressure Masi was under, with the Australian having also to cope with lobbying over the team radio from Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and his Red Bull rival Christian Horner.
“I think there’s enough pressure on us as drivers and we’re happy to take the pressure but there’s definitely some personnel in the sport that aren’t used to the pressure or don’t maybe ask for that pressure.
“So then to make big decisions with that is a bit foreign for them as well,” added 32-year-old Ricciardo. ( Reporting by Sophie Penney with Additional quotes from PA)
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