In the coming days, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem will present the governing body’s response to the events of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after promising “structural changes” and an “action plan” in a statement on Monday.
Formula One team bosses met with Ben Sulayem in London on Monday to discuss the fallout from the race, with the new FIA president presenting the findings of a two-month investigation into how the final laps unfolded.
The result of the grand prix, which saw Max Verstappen crowned champion ahead of Lewis Hamilton, was among the most controversial in the sport’s history after FIA race director Michael Masi failed to follow the correct procedure for a safety car restart, thereby handing Verstappen a significant advantage on the final lap.
In December last year the FIA promised to deliver a “detailed analysis and clarification exercise” of the safety car period after admitting the backlash from fans and media was tarnishing the image of the championship.
The investigation did not begin in earnest until January this year, with the findings of the process, which involved consultation with teams and drivers, being presented to the F1 Commission — a body including the FIA, F1 and the teams — at Monday’s meeting in London.
Although few details emerged from the meeting, the FIA issued the following statement: “The FIA President led detailed discussions of the 2021 FIA Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“Feedback from the Commission on matters raised will be incorporated into the President’s analysis and he will publicly present news of structural changes and action plan in the coming days.”
The stakes around the outcome of the investigation were raised last month when sources close to Lewis Hamilton suggested he might quit F1 if the FIA did not take sufficient action as a result of Masi’s decisions in Abu Dhabi.
Although Hamilton has yet to confirm if he will continue in F1 this year, he was among the drivers consulted in the investigation and in recent weeks returned to social media, posted videos of himself training and paid visits to his Mercedes team in preparation for the new season.
One of the main questions arising from the investigation is whether Masi will continue in his role as race director this year. He stepped into the role at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix following the death of former race director Charlie Whiting after working in a similar position in Formula 2 and Formula 3 in 2018.
In an interview with Voralberger Nachrichten last month, the FIA’s singer-seater director Peter Bayer, who led the FIA’s investigation into the events of Abu Dhabi, suggested that the role of race director could be split into different jobs, with the potential for Masi to be replaced.
“Michael has done a great job in many ways,” Bayer said n the interview. “We definitely don’t want to lose him.
“We told him that, but also that there is a possibility that there may be a new race director.
“I can only make proposals to the World Council, and they will definitely include Michael.”
Once the action plan has been made public by the FIA president it is set to be confirmed by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council ahead of the opening round of the F1 season on March 20 in Bahrain.
Source: www.espn.com