F1 News

Ferrari boss Binotto defends Masi: 'Most difficult job in the world'

5 January 2022 at 15:06
Last update 5 January 2022 at 16:43
  • GPblog.com

Toto Wolff still has no interest in talking to Michael Masi, Formula One's race director. The way Masi decided to let the final round of the Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi end was is still to enfuriating for the Mercedes boss to put behind him. Yet there is not only anger and dissatisfaction with Masi.

Unique Insights

Since the sudden death of Charlie Whiting, Michael Masi has been Formula One's race director. While Whiting worked fairly in anonymity, Masi is much more visible to everyone, including the public because TV viewers can now enjoy the conversations between teams and Masi. Sometimes this provides unique insights, as in the infamous last round in Abu Dhabi.

Unlike Wolff, however, Mattia Binotto, Ferrari's team boss, has now stood up for Masi. In a Christmas interview with the media, Binotto said that every decision the Australian made in Abu Dhabi was a difficult one. “I think certainly his job has been the most difficult job on the planet at that time in Abu Dhabi to decide", Binotto said according to Crash.net.

Lessons

Binotto believes - following other team bosses - that it is important to learn lessons from what happened. The Italian doesn't want to judge whether Masi acted rightly or wrongly. According to Binotto, it is not up to him and he emphasises again how complicated the decision in Abu Dhabi was.