F1 chief declares when Michael Masi could return after Lewis Hamilton chaos

The FIA fired Michael Masi after Max Verstappen won his first world championship at the expense of Lewis Hamilton.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem has cleared the way for Michael Masi to return to Formula One two years after breaking the FIA’s own rules at the season finale in Abu Dhabi in 2021. Masi was fired as race director after allowing a final lap of racing between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, with the former winning his first world title.

An FIA investigation later found that Masi circumvented the rules by allowing only some lapped cars to overtake the safety car late on. He also bypassed the standard procedure by resuming the race on the very next lap, rather than completing another full lap behind the safety car once the lapped cars had repositioned themselves.

Ben Sulayem, who replaced Jean Todt as FIA president after the race in Abu Dhabi two years ago, has since insisted that Masi will be welcomed back with open arms if he wishes to return to F1 in the future.

“I always apologize,” Ben Sulayem told The Independent, “but I can’t apologize for something that happened before my time.” “I will apologize, but I will bring Michael Masi back.” Do you believe that’s correct? “The poor guy has been attacked and abused.”Michael Masi had a hellish experience. Hell! And if I see an opportunity that the FIA need and Michael Masi is the perfect guy for it, I will bring him.”

Many fans were angered by what they saw as an injustice against Hamilton in the controversial race in Abu Dhabi, with over 108,000 individuals signing a petition to have the result annulled. However, it fell on deaf ears, with the FIA declining to change the result and Mercedes declining to appeal it.
Ben Sulayem went on to say that he was later threatened with death and compared the race to the 1966 World Cup final, in which England beat West Germany despite replays suggesting the ball did not cross the line.

“I even had people threatening me to kill me because I had the power to change it,” he added. “But I said to them: ‘Sorry, the World Cup of 1966, England against Germany, was that correct? Did they change it? No.’ Did they give it to Germany? Nein.”