flatsics

Great movie
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winders

No, not really.....

But I am sure that Hamilton fans will like it!

ProCoach

I’ll only say that Neils Wittich screwed up totally the DTM title decider last year. A LOT more eyes will be on him now…

https://racer.com/2022/02/17/opinion...ajor-problems/

multi21

I had read that too and it's certainly an interesting choice given the circumstances of how Masi was relieved of his duties. Whenever someone fills the shoes of a person who had been in the position before, whether it be a QB on a football team, multi world champion in a race series or CEO of a firm, and in this case Charlie Whiting, it's almost an untenable position to be in.

Glyndellis

I heard that Masi's new position with the FIA involves him sweeping the trailer and washing the safety car.

ProCoach

He's been retained by the FIA. As he should be.

Matt Lane

Yeah, a lot has been made of the one final and decisive call.

Overall the season's outcome actually wasn't attributable to the final Sunday. There were a bunch of earlier controversial calls, suspect driving 'events', reliability issues and strategy calls on both teams from the start.

IMO, the WC driver raced harder, and won more. I don't think Max has much to worry about in terms of legacy, and racers/drivers know that.

M

turbo8765

Lewis committed 3 infractions in 2 races with ZERO penalties. Absolutely nothing about Max’s well earned championship is tainted.

LuigiVampa

Post-season the FIA did not support Massi. Because they didn't support Massi he would not have the team's confidence. Because he lost the confidence of the teams he had to be removed from race director position.

It became the self-fulfilling prophecy.

winders

I suspect a part of the reason the FIA did this was to appease Lewis Hamilton. Whether they did this a the behest of Hamilton or his people is another question....

LuigiVampa

I agree that it was done in part to assuage the hurty feeling of Hamilton, Toto, as well as that of the whole Mercedes organization, which as a constructor, F1 would not want to lose.

I would also offer up that this is weak thinking as F1 is greater as a whole than any of its teams or drivers (with the exception perhaps of Ferrari).

Great teams and drivers have come and gone and F1 has prospered.

F1 should have told Toto to F-off when he first started crying.

RDL

Isn't that what Masi did......."It's called a motor race, Toto".

LuigiVampa

Agreed, but F1 did not.

thebishman

Race winning many times is defined by luck or fate; both yours as a driver or for your closest opponent. Frankly neither driver at the last F1 race of 2021 deserved to have the race decided by anything other than their skill on that specific day, as they had both driven a brilliant season. BUT, the ultimate result was not a function of skill for either of them, but rather the actions of the Race Director who did not follow the exact rules that govern how F1 functions, in essence giving the win and title to Verstappen.

Again this was not Verstappen’s fault; he took advantage of his new Red tyres and won the race as Masi allowed it to play out. The issue is this: Max never should have been placed into a position that he could have won the race IF Masi followed procedure, which Masi didn’t and hence why he is without a job. If you don’t think that the usurping of the written rules of the sport not being followed which allowed Max to win the race doesn’t throw a wet blanket of the result; well I beg to differ.

dgrobs

And therein lies the answer.......