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Christian Horner has revealed his reasons for contacting former Formula 1 director Michael Massey after the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Massey’s decisions in the 2021 title race proved controversial in the safety car’s late restart, when he didn’t let all the lapped cars clear themselves — only contenders Lewis Hamilton and Max Wey The circles between Stappan.
Safety car, usually brought in at the end of a lap back The lap runners had passed and were called at the end of lap 57, instead of lap 58 – the final lap of the race – for the green flag to finish – which Verstappen used to claim the title.
Massey was subsequently sacked as race director by the FIA ​​following an investigation into what happened, and was subjected to online abuse and threats on his subsequent return to his home in Australia.
It is for this reason that Horner felt it was important to engage with Marcy, who took over as race director following the untimely death of Charlie Whiting on the eve of the 2019 Australian Grand Prix.
Horner contacts Marcy
Yes, [I did] Several times,” Horner said in an interview F1: Beyond the grid Podcast, if he contacts Masi.
“I don’t think he’s been treated fairly because I think he’s done his best [in] follow the principles [of finishing races under green flag, racing conditions.
“The only thing he screwed up on was not allowing the final two cars at the back of the field to unlap themselves.
“As we saw recently in Monza, nobody wants to see a race diluted and finished under a Safety Car.
“So he did everything to get that race going again, which would have been a horrendous finish to the season, to see it just diluted and peter out under under a Safety Car.
“I think the reaction after the race, there was a huge amount of abuse, sent to him; there was death threats to his family. No individual deserves to go through that.”
Still issues with new race directors
Masi was replaced by Eduardo Freitas and Niels Wittich who combine race director duties, but Horner feels it is still taking time for the duo to get up to speed in F1.
“They’re obviously new and very competent, they’ve got the experience,” he said.
“But we still see issues no happening now and again [but the important thing is] They are continuing to learn and develop.
“This is a new chapter for the FIA ​​and I think Michael did his best throughout the year under difficult circumstances.
“We have to remember that he had almost no support in that game control tower and was left there very alone.
“When you look at how they see the car in action, it goes back to pen and paper.
“He doesn’t have all the backup [systems] For example, the team owns our operating room and software.
“It’s still a very rudimentary process.”
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