Red Bull’s Verstappen was told to hand back the lead to seven-times world champion Hamilton four laps from the finish of a nail-biting race after he ran wide while overtaking the Mercedes.
Television images showed Hamilton had previously crossed the limits at the same turn four on numerous occasions before his pitwall engineer passed on a warning from race control to stop doing it. The topic became a major talking point after the sensational race.
Masi said the two situations were “quite different” and nothing had changed during the race.
He said Verstappen had breached sporting regulations that always apply by “gaining a lasting advantage by overtaking another car off the racetrack”.
Masi confirmed also that he had instructed Red Bull to relinquish the position; he also issues notes for drivers specific to each race and in Bahrain they said the track limits would be monitored at turn four during the race only in relation to gaining an advantage.
Hamilton was therefore warned only once it became apparent how often he was going wide.
Masi reasoned: “With regard to tolerance given with people running outside of the track limits during the race it was mentioned very clearly in the [drivers’] meeting and the notes that it would not be monitored with regard to setting the lap time so to speak – but it will always be monitored in according with the Sporting Regulations that a lasting advantage overall must not be gained.
“Nothing changed at all during the race. We had two people that were looking in that area at every car at every lap and pretty much every car bar one was doing the right thing within what we expected in a general sequence. There was the occasional car that had a bit of a moment or went out there but it wasn’t a constant thing.
“So it is quite different and clearly specifically different and consistent with both notes and what was mentioned and discussed with drivers in the driver meeting. If an overtake takes place with a car off track and gains an advantage, a lasting advantage, I will go on the radio and suggest to the team that they immediately relinquish that position, and that was made very clear.
“Red Bull were actually given an instruction immediately by myself that I suggested they relinquish that position as listed in the Sporting Regulations, which they did. It wasn’t for exceeding track limits – it was for gaining a lasting advantage by overtaking another car off the race track,” added Masi
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff told reporters the messages needed to be clear and consistent: “At the beginning of the race it was said track limits in turn four wouldn’t be sanctioned.
“Then in the race suddenly we heard that if you would continue to run wide it would be seen as an advantage and it could cause a potential penalty. At the end that decision actually made us win the race.
“Max ran wide in the definition of the race director, gaining an advantage, had to give back the position and that saved our victory,” reasoned the Mercedes team boss.
(Additional eporting by Reuters)
EN 
ES 