BREAKING: The FIA SACKS Race Director Michael Masi

Masi, 44 years, oversaw the chaos at the end of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December where his unprecedented calls under the safety car enabled Max Verstappen a final lap run on Lewis Hamilton with much fresher tires to snatch the Formula One world championship in the most dramatic fashion.

Replacing Masi will be Eduardo Frietas Niels Wittich who will rotate in the role while being supervised by Herbie Blash as a new permanent senior advisor. 

Mercedes had pressed for his departure ever since he made his contentious decision i.e. disadvantaging Hamilton by withdrawing the safety car, and allowing only the five lapped cars in between Verstappen and Hamilton to overtake it prior to the Dutchman having clear air to attack the seven-time champion. 

Following a review into the safety car period, where both teams heavily lobbied Masi, direct communications to the race director have been removed from a TV broadcast.

The process of cars unlapping themselves under the safety car will also be reviewed. 

His future had been a topic of much discussion ever since, and his fate was still in the balance as recently as Monday night when an FIA inquiry into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ended without resolution in London.

While Masi will no longer be race director, he is expected to be offered a new role within the FIA  

Masi, 44, had public support for him from a selection of drivers including four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, as well as McLaren duo Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo.