Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen believes Michael Masi was made a scapegoat by the FIA and has defended the former Race Director.
Masi was removed from his role earlier this month following an analysis into the controversial finale to the 2021 season.
A new structure has been implemented in which Eduardo Freitas and Niels Wittich will share the role, supported by Herbie Blash, with communication to teams heavily reduced.
Speaking during Thursday’s press conference during testing, Verstappen defended Masi, and feels the restructuring of Race Control highlights that previous flaws were not recognised soon enough.
“I think it’s not correct,” said Verstappen on Masi’s sacking. “Everyone always tries to do the best job and everyone can always use help, us drivers also, we have a whole team behind us, to improve ourselves.
“For me it is very unfair what happened to Michael because he’s really been thrown under the bus.
“Of course people talk a lot about what was decided in Abu Dhabi but can you imagine a referee in whatever sport has the coach or equivalent screaming in his ear all the time ‘yellow card, red card, no decision, no foul’, it’s impossible to make a decision.
“So that F1 already allowed that, that team members could talk to him while making decisions, is very wrong, because it needs to be… it needed to be Michael making the decisions on his own without having people screaming in his ears.
“The people who did sack him allowed it in the first place, [which] for me is unacceptable, and now basically just, yeah, sacked him. I found it really incredible.
“I feel really sorry for Michael, I think he was a very capable and good Race Director, I have nothing against the new Race Director, I think they’re also good and capable Race Directors, but personally and for Michael I felt really sad and I sent him a text as well. Not the right decision.”
Verstappen feels Masi’s role was almost impossible due to the void left following the sudden death of predecessor Charlie Whiting in 2019.
“And especially I do think if you maybe would have put someone next to him… after Charlie died it was very hard to take over from someone like him,” said Verstappen.
“He had so much experience from previous years, and Charlie had help around him, and maybe Michael just needed a little bit more. Everyone needs experience.
“I mean I came into the sport, my first year, a complete rookie, now I’m so much further than what I was back then, and I think it would have been the same for Michael.
“To immediately sack him for me is not the right decision but I wish him the best with whatever comes next and I hope it’s better than being the F1 Race Director.”
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