After 97 days, the FIA delivered the report on the sensational epilogue of the 2021 Formula One World Championship in which Lewis Hamilton lost his eighth world title and Max Verstappen won the competition. According to reports from the Sun, the FIA believes that the former race director, Michael Masi , would have altered the rules of the safety car in the Abu Dhabi GP , thus denying Lewis Hamilton the title of champion.
World Formula One 2021: human error that would have penalized Hamilton
The report speaks of " human error " but there is no shadow of an apology or the assumption of responsibility for the controversy. Furthermore, the Sun writes, it was not possible to detect whether Masi was influenced by the radio messages between him and the Red Bull pitwall.
Masi, in fact, is hardly mentioned in the detailed analysis of the episode of 12 December. The report states, another allegation, that after identifying some FIA staff members who were not even aware of the rules, improvements will need to be made.
How Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi GP
Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the race – and the title – after race director Masi gave an ambiguous interpretation of the safety car in the final laps of the race at the Yas Marina circuit. The timing of the report – released ahead of qualifying for last Sunday's Bahrain GP – is also questionable, notes the British tabloid.
The summary was delivered after the World Motor Sport Council met in Bahrain and was chaired by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem .
He says: "The report notes that, given the difficult circumstances, the referee acted in good faith and to the best of his knowledge, notably recognizing the significant time constraints for decisions to be made and the immense pressure being put on by the teams. .
However, Verstappen remains world champion
Crucially, the report confirms Verstappen as the 2021 world champion , adding that "the results of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the FIA Formula 1 World Championship are valid, final and cannot be changed". Masi has since been cut out of his role, there is no mention of his future involvement in the organization, but is a notable absentee from the report, which will raise even more questions.
The report also notes that Masi “recalled the safety car in the pit lane without having completed an additional lap as required by the Formula 1 Sporting Regulations”. However, while admitting the violation, the FIA added that "there could be several interpretations" that "probably contributed to the procedure applied".
Finally, speaking of improvements, the report offers the baffling admission that the staff did not know the rules.
There were several episodes last season that raised controversy, including the two-lap race at the Belgian GP, which should cause even more concern for F1, the teams and the drivers.
The report states: “The staff also noted the need to improve communications between the FIA office in Geneva and track staff and between the F1 and F1 Technical sports departments. They also noted the complexity of the F1 Regulation and the reduction in the duration of consultancy contracts from three years to one year, which often translates into greater staff turnover and therefore less familiarity with the rules ”.
Source: Blitz Quotidiano