The Australian's decision to restart, on the last lap, a race then neutralized behind a safety car had given the Dutchman (Red Bull) the opportunity to overtake Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) to afford his first championship title of the world.

He had sharply denounced this decision, believing that the race had been "manipulated".

"Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas will alternately act as race director, assisted by Herbie Blash as permanent senior adviser," new FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said in a video, adding that Masi would be offered another position within the FIA.

“A virtual race control room will be created. Like the Video Assistance Referee (VAR) in football, it will be positioned in one of the FIA ​​offices outside the circuit,” he also announced.

"In real-time liaison with the race director, she will help apply the sporting regulations."

"Direct radio communications during the race (between the race director and the team managers, Editor's note), currently broadcast live by television, will be suppressed in order to protect the race director from any pressure", a-t- he adds.

These communications between the "main team" of the Mercedes Toto Wolff team or that of Red Bull Christian Horner on the one hand, and on the other Michael Masi, had turned into a rat race over the year. .

The 44-year-old Australian Masi, rushed to this position at the death of his predecessor Charlie Whiting at the start of the 2019 season, had crystallized criticism over an intense season towards the title.

Abu Dhabi events

At the 22nd and final GP, on December 12, Hamilton and Verstappen were tied on points.

Hamilton was leading the race and heading for an eighth record crown, when the accident at the back of the pack for Canadian Nicholas Latifi (Williams), and the arrival of the safety car, came to overturn everything five laps from the end.

Max Verstappen (Red Bull) exults after his controversial world champion title at the end of the Abu Dhabi GP Yas Marina, December 12, 2021 Giuseppe CACACE AFP / Archives

After allowing the late cars sandwiched between Hamilton and Verstappen to overtake the leader to get back on track, Masi restarted the race for just one lap.

Verstappen, who had stopped to change his tyres, unlike Hamilton who feared losing his place, then found himself just behind the Briton, in a strong position to overtake him.

What he did to be crowned, at 24 years old.

Two points of the rules are in question.

First of all, when the race direction asks the latecomers to replace themselves, all the cars concerned must do so, and not only those inserted between the first two as was the case.

Then, the rules state that once the latecomers have taken their places, the race resumes "at the end of the next lap".

However, the cars overtook Hamilton on lap 57 and Masi decided to restart the race at the end of this, not the 58th - which would have meant a safety car finish.

Lewis Hamilton's 2021 Mercedes is ahead of Max Verstappen's Red Bull at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, December 12, 2021 Giuseppe CACACE AFP/Archives

Two other solutions presented themselves to Masi.

Either the race ended behind the safety car, a regime which prevents any overtaking, and the title went to Hamilton.

Either he asked for an interruption of the race, authorized the pilots to change tires and a new start was given, the title being played on equal terms.

© 2022 AFP