Martin Brundle has slammed radio messages between Michael Masi and Red Bull as ‘really uncomfortable’ with the F1 race director facing fresh questions over the outcome of the Abu Dhabi title decider.
Masi has been accused of giving into pressure applied by Red Bull chief Christian Horner and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, resulting in his decision not to follow the FIA rules and allow lapped cars to pass on the final lap, resulting in Max Verstappen overtaking Lewis Hamilton in dramatic circumstances to claim the title.
And video footage of a conversation between Masi and sporting director Wheatley appears to provide further evidence of the race director reacting to Red Bull’s demands.
Martin Brundle (left) has labelled audio messages between F1 race director Michael Masi (right) and Red Bull in last season’s controversial Abu Dhabi finale as ‘really uncomfortable’
And with the footage now doing the rounds around social media, former F1 driver turned Sky pundit Brundle has labelled the incident as ‘really uncomfortable’ while claiming it was ‘hugely unacceptable’.
‘It’s not new news, and also I think you have to understand that it’s not necessarily telling Michael Masi something he didn’t already know,’ Brundle told Sky F1.
‘Let’s not assume it’s giving Masi information he didn’t already know in terms of what he could and couldn’t do in terms of the lapped pack.
‘Of course it’s really uncomfortable, and a lot of people are unhappy: (Lewis) Hamilton fans, Mercedes fans.
‘And you don’t even have to be a Lewis Hamilton fan to think that forever he should be an eight-time world champion, because, for me, the really crucial regulation that wasn’t carried out was that the safety car should have come in at the end of the following lap.
A radio message shows Masi using the same wording used by Red Bull’s Jonathan Wheatley (left) – ‘motor racing’ – to Mercedes chief Toto Wolff
‘But we also know that unwritten rules and meetings, which shouldn’t supersede anything, were: let’s try not to have a race finish behind the safety car.
‘Hugely unacceptable. I met so many fans that were new to Formula One last year particularly, and fans in general, that were hugely upset by what happened.
‘We cannot – and we know it’s going to change – have teams getting at the referee while he’s trying to make critical decisions with cars on the track and marshals and breakdown vehicles.
‘The car was on fire at certain times. He’s trying to manage that and he’s getting lobbied left, right and centre.
‘You can imagine that on the football ground or rugby ground is completely unacceptable. And that will change.
‘It’s not pretty for Formula 1 at all, but I don’t think this audio today changes the really uncomfortable narrative of what happened.’
In the radio messages, Masi is heard receiving advice from Wheatley on how to deal with the lapped cars with Red Bull desperate for a final-lap shootout.
Masi takes on the message from Wheatley, then decides to instruct the five lapped cars to unlap themselves. When questioned by Mercedes chief Toto Wolff, Masi is heard repeating the same language used by Wheatley in the previous message.
Lewis Hamilton led for the majority of the race and was closing in on an eighth world title
However, Masi’s decision to allow lapped cars to unlap themselves helped Max Verstappen win
Wheatley first says: ‘Those lapped cars; you don’t need to let them go right the way around and catch up with the back of the pack. You only need to let them go, and then we’ve got a motor race on our hands.’
‘Understood,’ the Australian responds before making his decision. When Wolff demands a reason for that controversial call, Masi replies: ‘Toto, it’s called a motor race, OK?’
The video has gained traction on social media but is not a new revelation. It was initially released by Formula One four days after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix but only now has it caused a whirlwind online, with the hashtag ‘#F1xed’ trending as a result.
When asked whether Masi is the right man to continue as race director for the upcoming season, Brundle said he is in an ‘untenable situation’.
‘I made a comment that changing Michael Masi won’t fix the problem, meaning that it’s way too big a job for one person,’ Brundle added.
‘That doesn’t mean to say I’m in full support for Michael Masi. I think he’ll struggle to keep that position.
‘The trouble is that the spotlight will be on him, and every single decision will be analysed.
Former F1 driver turned pundit Brundle (left) says the messages as ‘completely unacceptable’
‘What happens if Lewis is up for a penalty? Will he be lenient on that? I think he’s in an untenable situation.
‘You can’t unravel the result. Red Bull did nothing wrong, and Ferrari did nothing wrong in third place for example. You can’t penalise them.
‘The FIA can only penalise themselves for getting it wrong on the day. Michael Masi got it wrong, due to a lot of circumstances.’
In a statement, the FIA said: ‘We are aware of this and it is part of the investigation.’
The FIA are due to release the findings of their inquiry into the controversial ending to the season finale at a meeting of the F1 Commission next Monday.