Are Masi's replacements an improvement for Formula One?

Rishi Wig - Editor GPblog UK

One clarification must be made: the race director works in tandem with the stewards, delegating the new party the duty to assess the footage and deal with the relevant issue appropriately. So far, both new parties have been effective. In that regard, F1 has been functioning decently. Treatment of most incidents has been dealt with fairly, although one or two incidents (such as referring to Sebastian Vettel’s use of a scooter on-track) remain as slight annoyances.

However, F1 as a whole has still not shifted away from a slightly problematic stance. Penalty points are still regularly served for a variety of on-track incidents still. Alex Albon was dealt two penalty points for his collision with Lance Stroll at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, while Stroll himself received his own point for weaving down the straight in Australia. The greatest penalty that will be imposed for a collision incident is the hours that the mechanics will have to spend, the public and private apologies that will be issued from the driver and the absolutely avoidable expense of an incident. The cost cap will reduce resources for all of the teams, making everyone inside the garage feel the pinch. Thus, the 12 point penalty system must be reserved exclusively for moments of severe recklessness and complete disregard for the spirit of racing.

Bonne Veenstra - Editor GPblog NL

When Michael Masi was fired from his position as race director at the end of last season, I doubted it was the right choice by the FIA. After three races with Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas, I have to admit that it seems like the right choice. The two react quickly during the sessions and let us know almost immediately that certain situations are being looked at. In addition, with the help of Herbie Blash, the two are also quick to come up with an appropriate punishment.

So far, it seems that the new race management is making better decisions without controversial outcomes. Of course, it is still early in the season without any big moments, but the new duo is taking the tasks seriously. This is also reflected in, for example, the stricter rules, such as racing without jewelry and piercings. Now I think this is going a bit far myself, but rules are rules.

Rafael Diaz Lehmann - Editor GPblog UK

When it was announced that Eduardo Freitas and Niels Whittich would take over from Michael Masi as F1's dual-race directors, I sort of did a mini-whoop-whoop in my head. Anyone who has watched the 24 Hours of Le Mans, or any WEC race, in recent years will have heard Freitas' booming voice over the broadcast, correcting any wrong and carrying out orders that the teams immediately respect without hesitation. No arguing, no negotiating, no 'No, Michael, no!'. The FIA bringing in two Race Directors shows that ultimately everything got too much for Masi, as shown by his questionable judgement at the end of the 2021 season. 

We have not seen any controversy out of the Race Directors' decisions, which is an immediate improvement on last year, it has to be said. Stricter track limits were the first new change that they added, with a simple 'step outside of the limits, get a penalty' policy. Now when a driver oversteps their mark, they get punished. Fair and consistent, exactly what the drivers and teams need. In my view, the hiring of Freitas was the best option for the FIA to make, and splitting his responsibilities with Whittich makes it easier for the pair of them to judge and assess each situation fairly and relatively pressure-free.

Jordi Smit - Editor GPblog NL

The new race directors were not only necessary this season to provide change internally, but the change also gives a refreshing feeling to the outside world. In practice, however, little has changed. If, in the coming years, they want to retain the respect they currently receive, it is important to stay on top of the main points and not interfere too much with the details. Banning the wearing of jewelry, piercings and necklaces is simply not part of that.

So far both men have not been caught out by any mistakes, but it is fair to say that it is still difficult to judge. There have hardly been any moments where the competition management was given a serious test. Moreover, the pressure will only come at the end of the season, so they can still afford to make a slip. For now, therefore, they are 1-0 up, although they must be careful not to cut themselves any slack any time soon.

Oliver Lewis - Editor GPblog UK

Firstly, the new race directors haven’t made any major mistakes yet, which is always a positive, especially in a transition phase like this has been. And while mistakes from Micheal Masi weren’t weekly they had started to become more frequent and help alter outcomes as seen in the season finale last year. Another bonus I think the new direction has brought the drivers and teams, is they appear to be clearer in what’s expected in the pre-weekend build up. When given clarity it’s easier to tell when something is either right or wrong, which has lessened the debate around whether or not a driver has broken a rule or regulation. All of which are positive sides. And while it’s hard to tell immediately how long this positive impact will stay, and if the race direction will continue in the positive path it has taken so far, so far I believe they’ve done a really good job and hope to see it continue for the future Grand Prix.

Nicole Mulder - Editor GPblog NL

Something that was positive for the drivers were the rules regarding track limits, which Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc described as 'very clear'. Up until now, consistent action has also been taken against exceeding track limits, but the question is whether this will remain the case. No doubt there will be further discussions about this.

Something that has also generated discussion is a clarification of some existing, yet curious rules. For example, drivers were reminded that wearing jewelry and piercings is not allowed for safety reasons and the same goes for wearing non-fireproof underwear. This brought about quite a few laughs among the drivers. Also, penalizing Sebastian Vettel for his lap on the scooter at Albert Park was perhaps a bit excessive.

More worrying to me is that relatively minor infractions are dealt with very diligently, while Alexander Albon had to hope during his late pit stop that no fans would cross in front of his car. Given that it is more common for VIP guests to be allowed into the pit lane as early as the start of the final lap, I think it would be more appropriate to discuss such matters than the drivers' underwear.

Matt Gretton - Editor-in-Chief GPblog UK

It’s impossible to draw hard conclusions at this stage. There hasn’t been much change so far, but at least they’ve seemingly sorted out the track limits issue. Under Michael Masi, most weekends track limits came under debate before being changed partway through to make it easier for the drivers. 

The new directors have made an authority stamp and are taking back control. That goes a long way in sorting out future issues that may occur over the coming race weekends. They are working towards positive outcomes, but let’s be honest: nothing absolutely major has happened yet in a high-pressure environment.