FIA Thread

[AeroDynamic]

Can we keep the Abu Dhabi race specifics to the Abu Dhabi thread? and can we not turn this thread into Hamilton being robbed? Its a beaten dead horse. Everyone knows what happened and acknowledges it; he was robbed of the victory in Abu Dhabi but we should keep the discussion about how we will make the sport credible in '22 and the future.

Masi, if he departs that specific role, will only strengthen the acknowledgement by the FIA that Hamilton was robbed and major mistakes were made that gave the victory to Verstappen that he wouldn't have managed otherwise. The only ones that know but deny, and who's acknowledgement may never strengthen, are overzealous Verstappen/dutch f1 fans.

[Stu]

We know that Michael Masi was Charlie Whiting’s assistant (or one of them), did/does MM have any assistants, and what roles do they play? We know that the RD role is separate from the Race Stewards, but I would imagine a small team would be required to keep abreast of everything going on in the race.

[ENGINE TUNER]

This is a huge smokescreen for Masi's incompetence. Him needing help has no bearing on why he keeps placing launch ramps just outside the white lines, or why he refuses to enforce the white line rules at all. He is a clown with an overall terrible philosophy towards running an grand prix safely and fairly.

[SiLo]

We know that Michael Masi was Charlie Whiting’s assistant (or one of them), did/does MM have any assistants, and what roles do they play? We know that the RD role is separate from the Race Stewards, but I would imagine a small team would be required to keep abreast of everything going on in the race.

I dont think he had an assistant this year, which is probably one of the reasons the decisions were all over the place.

[Wouter]

We know that Michael Masi was Charlie Whiting’s assistant (or one of them), did/does MM have any assistants, and what roles do they play? We know that the RD role is separate from the Race Stewards, but I would imagine a small team would be required to keep abreast of everything going on in the race.

That's what Peter Bayer said too. Masi had to do everything alone and that were way too many tasks for one person.
He hasn't done anything illegal under the rules, but he will now be the victim if he gets fired.
The rules allowed him to make the decision himself and that was not very good in this hectic situation,
where he had to decide everything quickly on his own.

[Jolle]

We know that Michael Masi was Charlie Whiting’s assistant (or one of them), did/does MM have any assistants, and what roles do they play? We know that the RD role is separate from the Race Stewards, but I would imagine a small team would be required to keep abreast of everything going on in the race.

That's what Peter Bayer said too. Masi had to do everything alone and that were way too many tasks for one person.
He hasn't done anything illegal under the rules, but he will now be the victim if he gets fired.
The rules allowed him to make the decision himself and that was not very good in this hectic situation,
where he had to decide everything quickly on his own.

That’s a certain way to interpret the rules.
What is clearly against the rules, spirit and good sportsmanship, for any official to display favouritism. With the unlapping of the cars between Hamilton and Verstappen and not Sainz and Verstappen, he, without any doubt, didn’t give Sainz the same opportunity as he did Verstappen.

Just with this simple action he should disqualify himself. Just unfair racing.

[Big Tea]

We know that Michael Masi was Charlie Whiting’s assistant (or one of them), did/does MM have any assistants, and what roles do they play? We know that the RD role is separate from the Race Stewards, but I would imagine a small team would be required to keep abreast of everything going on in the race.

Did not Joe Bauer not 'help out' at one time? I know he was the Tec guy latterly, but I seem to remember him (though by memory is terrible)

Edit. Seems I have it wrong (again). I can find very little about him but his small mention on Grand Prix ends -

when the F1 Technical Delegate Charlie Whiting was appointed Race Director, it was Bauer who took over the difficult role of keeping up with the F1 engineers in their technical battles. He remains in that position.

I remember seeing them both together quite often, but it seems in different roles.

[Restomaniac]

I think what happened today (Formula E) has kinda confirmed that Masi is gone. You would think otherwise they would have found a way to finish it under green.

No this isn’t going over the last race in 2021. My point is that nothing is by chance and today was the perfect chance to save Masi by allowing a similar situation (they could have finished under green even if only 2 corners) they chose to finish under SC which singles out Masi all the more.

[Wouter]

[Ryar]

I think what happened today (Formula E) has kinda confirmed that Masi is gone. You would think otherwise they would have found a way to finish it under green.

No this isn’t going over the last race in 2021. My point is that nothing is by chance and today was the perfect chance to save Masi by allowing a similar situation (they could have finished under green even if only 2 corners) they chose to finish under SC which singles out Masi all the more.

It was team principals who, through the season, demanded the race director to avoid finishing races under SC in their meetings. He merely tried to live up to that.
https://thejudge13.com/2022/01/17/massi ... all-costs/

Zak reveals, “It is the teams who applied the pressure to avoid finishing races under a Safety Car at all costs.”

[Restomaniac]

I think what happened today (Formula E) has kinda confirmed that Masi is gone. You would think otherwise they would have found a way to finish it under green.

No this isn’t going over the last race in 2021. My point is that nothing is by chance and today was the perfect chance to save Masi by allowing a similar situation (they could have finished under green even if only 2 corners) they chose to finish under SC which singles out Masi all the more.

It was team principals who, through the season, demanded the race director to avoid finishing races under SC in their meetings. He merely tried to live up to that.
https://thejudge13.com/2022/01/17/massi ... all-costs/

Zak reveals, “It is the teams who applied the pressure to avoid finishing races under a Safety Car at all costs.”

Irrelevant to the point I was making.

[AeroDynamic]

It’s interesting that Masi’s interpretation of finishing races under green flags and avoiding doing so under safety car, led to Deviating completely from FIA rules. I would’ve loved to know the nitty gritty of thr conversation with the teams; I’ll be surprised if they suggested a forgoing of the rules. If they wanted that I think they would’ve suggested a change to the rules. The irony of course, of Formula 1 did everything they could to finish an entire ‘race’ under the safety car in Spa no letting them race there.

[KeiKo403]

We know that Michael Masi was Charlie Whiting’s assistant (or one of them), did/does MM have any assistants, and what roles do they play? We know that the RD role is separate from the Race Stewards, but I would imagine a small team would be required to keep abreast of everything going on in the race.

Did not Joe Bauer not 'help out' at one time? I know he was the Tec guy latterly, but I seem to remember him (though by memory is terrible)

Edit. Seems I have it wrong (again). I can find very little about him but his small mention on Grand Prix ends -

when the F1 Technical Delegate Charlie Whiting was appointed Race Director, it was Bauer who took over the difficult role of keeping up with the F1 engineers in their technical battles. He remains in that position.

I remember seeing them both together quite often, but it seems in different roles.

Was it not Michael ‘Herbie’ Blash?

[Big Tea]

We know that Michael Masi was Charlie Whiting’s assistant (or one of them), did/does MM have any assistants, and what roles do they play? We know that the RD role is separate from the Race Stewards, but I would imagine a small team would be required to keep abreast of everything going on in the race.

Did not Joe Bauer not 'help out' at one time? I know he was the Tec guy latterly, but I seem to remember him (though by memory is terrible)

Edit. Seems I have it wrong (again). I can find very little about him but his small mention on Grand Prix ends -

when the F1 Technical Delegate Charlie Whiting was appointed Race Director, it was Bauer who took over the difficult role of keeping up with the F1 engineers in their technical battles. He remains in that position.

I remember seeing them both together quite often, but it seems in different roles.

Was it not Michael ‘Herbie’ Blash?

Yes, you are right.

[Wouter]

Some quotes from an article on Motorsport about the race director.

Who will have the F1 race director role in 2022?

Feb 1, 2022, 10:36 AM
With just a few weeks to go before the start of the 2022 Formula 1 season, speculation continues about Michael Masi's role as the FIA's race director.

Last week, Bayer gave an intriguing insight into the kind of discussions that are going on.

"He has done a super job," Bayer told journalist Gerhard Kuntschik when asked about Masi.

"We have told him that, but also that there is a possibility that there will be a new race director. I can only make suggestions to the World Council, and they will definitely include him."

He added: "I assured Michael of the federation's backing in our discussions and let him know - we want to continue working with you, but I also need your understanding that we have to deal with the issue."

Bayer also made it clear that even if Masi stays, significant changes are in hand.

Firstly, some of the jobs that he has been doing will be shared out, reducing the burden on him.

> > > "There will be a division of the tasks of the race director, who is also sports director, safety and track delegate."

The circuit inspection role takes up a lot of time. At the end of 2021 Masi, had to make several trips to Jeddah between races to check on progress at the new venue, and in the age of COVID any extra travel becomes a challenge.

> > > "The team bosses will no longer be able to intervene on this channel," said Bayer. "But the team managers will still be able to, because they have to be able to ask questions.

"We want to build in a buffer with a staff member who will take these enquiries. In future, the race director will be able to concentrate on his task, and will no longer be distracted."

> > > The third expected change is the introduction of remote help in terms of extra eyes and ears working from a dedicated site, reviewing incidents and feeding information to race control at the circuits.


If Masi loses the race director role, and is for example asked to move sideways to focus on his circuit inspection and safety delegate jobs, who could step in?

The main candidates are essentially people enjoying a relatively quiet life in lower profile championships with little risk of facing global social media storms, and they may be reluctant to step into the lion's den.

The FIA is well aware of the challenge that any newcomer will face, another reason to have co-directors, putting less pressure on one individual's shoulders.

Among those qualified to fill Masi's shoes from within the FIA system are Eduardo Freitas, GT and WEC race director for over two decades, and Scot Elkins, who has served as a deputy in F1 but is already busy with Formula E and DTM and has a family life back home in the USA.

Then there's former DTM man Niels Wittich, already named as Masi's deputy for 2022. Could he step straight into the main seat?

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/who- ... 2/7792887/