Toto Wolff aims dig at former Formula 1 race director Michael Masi ahead of Abu Dhabi showdown with Ferrari
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Published 21/11/2023 at 17:45 GMT
Ahead of the battle for second in the constructors' championship, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff appeared to take a swipe at Michael Masi, the former Formula 1 race director whose decisions in 2021 caused huge controversy as Lewis Hamilton missed out on an eighth world title. Mercedes lead Ferrari by four points ahead of the final race of the season around the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi.
Watch behind-the-scenes footage as Las Vegas prepares for F1 arrival
Toto Wolff appeared to aim a dig at former Formula 1 race director Michael Masi ahead of the season-ending battle between Mercedes and Ferrari for second in the constructors’ championship.
Mercedes saw their advantage cut to just four points heading to the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi, which was also the scene of the infamous 2021 title decider between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
Masi was the race director at the time two years ago and made the controversial decision to allow only the cars between Hamilton and Verstappen unlap themselves and pass the safety car, which he then called in a lap before the regulations state he should have.
That paved the way for a last-lap shoot-out which Verstappen won on much fresher and softer tyres and sparked a massive backlash.
An FIA investigation into the incident months later stated that “human error” caused the chain of events to unfold as they did but the governing body insisted the final result could not be modified.
Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, was highly critical of Masi at the time and appeared to take another swipe at the Australian after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, as his team prepares to take on Ferrari to finish second behind Red Bull in the team standings.
“We are going there pretty much on equal points with a proper race director, so that should be fine, and let's race,” Wolff told Sky Sports.
“It's all down to the last weekend. They are very quick [and] they have done a good job. I think we could have been on par [in Las Vegas] but the result shows something different. So let's race.
“To be honest, it's good to have P2 as a positive to finish the season, but P2, P3 for me, that it doesn't make it better for me.”
Mercedes have once again been well off the pace behind Red Bull and Verstappen in particular this season, as the Dutchman cruised to a third successive world crown.
Both Hamilton and George Russell have found the W14 frustrating to drive at various points of the season and endured another disappointing race result in Vegas.
Hamilton started 10th and finished seventh after an unfortunate puncture when passing Oscar Piastri put paid to his podium hopes, while Russell’s collision with Verstappen earned him a five-second penalty that demoted him from P4 over the line to eighth.
Wolff bemoaned another race that yielded fewer points than there was pace in the car but expressed optimism that it was a far better showing than the pain of Sao Paolo, which he described as his “worst weekend” in the sport.
“Sad to say yet another time that we had pace but just no result,” Wolff added. “George after the incident with Verstappen, where he got the penalty, that was pretty much game over.
“[The car had] pace for the front. Maybe not [to challenge] Max, but behind. It is what it is.
“We have seen pace-ish today. I think we hopefully can recover and score solid podiums.”
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