The decision that defined the Formula 1 title in 2021 has returned to debate after a public defense of Michael Masi. The former race director received support from a former FIA colleague, who described him as a ‘scapegoat’ after that year’s Abu Dhabi GP.
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Niels Wittich, who served as Masi’s deputy and later took over as race director, stated that the Australian did not make significant errors in the decision that decided the championship between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. According to him, the actions taken were within the authority allowed by the regulations.
The controversy began after Nicholas Latifi’s accident, then a Williams driver, which caused the safety car to come out in the final laps of the race. Verstappen took the opportunity to change tires, while Hamilton stayed on track with used compounds and lapped cars between the two. Initially, it was announced that these lapped cars would not un-lap themselves, but Masi changed the decision and allowed only the cars between the two leaders to reposition themselves, something that went against the existing regulations.
Thus, the race resumed with only the last lap remaining, with Verstappen right behind Hamilton, and it was then that the Dutchman with new tires easily overtook Hamilton to win the race and claim his first F1 title. Mercedes protested the decision but later withdrew the challenge.
After investigation, the FIA pointed to human error by the race director and removed Masi from the position before the 2022 season, dismissing him from the organization shortly thereafter. Wittich, however, disagreed with this assessment: “From my point of view, Michael didn’t do much wrong. The regulations did not define everything rigidly, and he had some discretion in the use of the safety car,” he said.
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The German also highlighted that there was a prior consensus among teams, FIA, and Formula 1 to avoid races ending under the safety car: “He basically did what everyone had agreed on, creating a final lap of racing. That produced a spectacular finish, with overtaking and deciding the winner,” he said.
Wittich acknowledged that safety car decisions at the end of races always generate controversy but emphasized that any intervention would disadvantage someone: “You could have shown the red flag, but that would require specific conditions, which was not the case,” he said.
The former director also criticized the FIA’s stance after the episode: “The conclusion seemed to be that Michael needed to go, essentially finding a scapegoat. The most disappointing thing was the lack of support from the FIA,” he added.
According to Wittich, this lack of backing also influenced his own departure from the position: “There was no proper discussion or support for the staff. That was the worst consequence of the whole situation,” he concluded.
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