Ex-FIA president Jean Todt has revealed that both Toto Wolff and Christian Horner contacted him amid the dramatic saga that unfolded in Abu Dhabi in 2021.
The title showdown between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton ended in controversial circumstances.
A late Safety Car saw then-Race Director Michael Masi order only the cars in between Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves before restarting the race on the final lap.
Verstappen overtook Hamilton on fresh tyres to win his maiden title, denying Hamilton his record-breaking eighth championship.
Todt was the outgoing FIA president at the time, with his term ending shortly after the Abu Dhabi race.
“I didn’t do anything, it’s not the role of the president of the FIA,” Todt told Corriere della Sera.
“Referees must be autonomous. Have you ever heard [FIFA president Gianni] Infantino say ‘Here there was a penalty, and here there was not’.
“In the documentary [‘The Method’ on French TV] you can see that I’m watching that race in the country house with the crew.
“Horner and Wolff call me and to them I replied: ‘I can’t interfere, it’s the responsibility of the stewards and the Race Director.’”
Masi left his role as Race Director before the start of the 2022 season, before departing the FIA entirely last year.
However, he was back in the paddock last weekend in Melbourne, marking the first time he was present at an F1 grand prix since the Abu Dhabi controversy.
Neils Wittich is currently acting as Race Director, while Mohammed Ben Sulayem took up the vacancy left by Todt at the helm of the FIA.
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