Toto Wolff and Christian Horner’s angry rants look to have prompted a key rule change for the 2022 season, as announced by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem on Thursday. Along with the news that race director Michael Masi has been sacked as a result of his role in December’s dramatic finale, there are also set to be changes regarding the way team bosses can communicate with Masi’s replacement.
Masi’s dismissal is sure to send shockwaves through the F1 world, given the nature of Max Verstappen’s world title win.
The Australian effectively wiped out Lewis Hamilton’s lead behind a late safety car in Abu Dhabi, allowing the Dutchman to pounce via a final-lap overtake, to the dismay of the Mercedes garage.
After a lengthy internal investigation, the FIA have taken action in finding Masi a new role, with Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas set to step up on an alternating basis.
But having delved into the finer details of Abu Dhabi’s season finale, the changes do not stop there.
“Direct radio communications during the race, currently broadcast live by all TVs, will be removed in order to protect the race director from any pressure and allow him to take decisions peacefully,” confirmed Ben Sulayem.
“It will still be possible to ask questions to the race director, according to a well-defined and non-intrusive process.”
Indeed, both Horner and Wolff were extremely vocal in the season’s final few races, with a closely-fought Drivers’ Championship at stake.
The drama culminated in Red Bull appearing to pressure Masi into allowing the lapped drivers between Hamilton and Verstappen to pass through while behind the safety car at Yas Marina.
When their wish was granted, Wolff was heard pleading with Masi over the radio to backtrack on his decision.
In his now infamous justification, which ultimately preceded his sacking, Masi simply told the Austrian that they ‘went car racing’.
After the race’s conclusion, there were immediate calls for changes to be made in the way team bosses can communicate with the race director, namely from former world champion Nico Rosberg and Formula One managing director Ross Brawn.
And months down the line, those prayers appear to have been answered.
Aside from changes in communication between team bosses and the race director, the FIA president announced further reform during Thursday’s statement.
A ‘virtual control room’ is in the pipeline, likened to VAR in football, which will supposedly help to apply the sporting regulations as accurately as possible.
Also, in direct relation to the incident which preceded Verstappen’s world title win, the unlapping procedures behind safety cars are set to be reassessed.
Ben Sulayem also confirmed a new ‘race management team’ will be in place, starting in Barcelona.