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Ex-Formula 1 Race Director Michael Masi had a controversial end to his tenure in the sport amid the fallout of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem says he is not opposed to seeing him return to a role.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem expressed openness to the idea of Michael Masi returning to the organization in the future. Masi previously served as the F1 Race Director from 2019 to 2021 but left the position after the controversial conclusion to the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. During the race, Max Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton on the final lap following a Safety Car restart, which allowed only lapped cars to unlap themselves. The FIA investigated the incident and attributed the disputable ending to “human error.” Ben Sulayem, who succeeded Jean Todt as FIA president, acknowledged Masi’s difficult situation and stated that he would bring Masi back if the opportunity arose and he was deemed the right person for the job. Despite receiving threats over potentially changing the result, Ben Sulayem drew a comparison to the 1966 World Cup final between England and Germany, where the result was not altered.
