The FIA has confirmed that former Formula 1 race director Michael Masi has decided to leave the governing body.
Masi was race director from 2019 to 2021 and took on the role following the sudden death of Charlie Whiting.
But the Australian was removed from office ahead of this season after a number of high-profile and controversial incidents during his tenure culminating in the 2021 Abu Dhabi final.
During the last few laps of the race, he left only the overlapping cars between title contenders Sir Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen to carry on as the safety car period drew to a close, allowing the Red Bull driver, who was on fresh tires, to easily pass the Mercedes man on the final lap and win the championship.
The rules of the time clearly stipulated that it should have been a car every lap or no car at all, and the race should not have started again, but despite Mercedes appealing the results stood, with Masi infamous against Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said, “It’s been called motorcycle racing.”
However, after much criticism from fans, an FIA investigation into the incident concluded that “human error” was at the root of the controversy, but that Masi “acted in good faith and to the best of his knowledge given the difficult circumstances, in particular recognize the considerable time pressure for decision making and the enormous pressure exerted by the teams.”
He was replaced by rotating race directors Eduardo Freitas and Niells Wittich for 2022, although their appointment has resulted in an even more tense relationship between F1, drivers, teams and the FIA.
Masi was set to take on a new role within the FIA, but a statement from the governing body on Tuesday said: “The FIA confirms that Michael Masi has decided to leave the FIA and move to Australia to be closer to his family and take on new tasks. challenges.
‘He performed the numerous functions assigned to him professionally and diligently. The FIA thanks him for his commitment and wishes him the best for the future.”
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