Australian race director needs more support after F1 title controversy: Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo said race director and compatriot Michael Masi needs more support in his role, after he came under fire for his title-deciding safety car call in the 2021 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Masi sparked controversy with his decision to alter the safety car procedure that moved only the lapped cars between race leading Lewis Hamilton and second-placed rival Max Verstappen out of the way after a late-race crash.
The decision set up a last-lap showdown between the two rivals and allowed Verstappen, on fresher tyres, to pass Hamilton and deny the Briton an unprecedented eighth title.
“Potentially Michael needs a bit more support and especially now with a growing calendar,” Ricciardo told Reuters TV.
“We’re also human and you go through fatigue and Michael is not just rocking up on a Sunday, being part of the race and then going back home.
“He’s going to every track before, checking out also for other things whether it’s safety or whatever. So his schedule is nuts.”
FIA race director Michael Masi (left).Credit:Getty Images
Formula One ran a 22-race season in 2021 and is set for a record 23 rounds this year.
Masi, the only other high-profile Australian in the sport other than Ricciardo, stepped into the role of race director after the sudden death of the respected Charlie Whiting in 2019.
Apart from running the on-track sessions, his job includes safety-related responsibilities like track inspections and visits to new circuits to sign off on their layout.
The sport’s governing FIA is conducting an investigation into the Abu Dhabi finale whose outcome will be put before a meeting of the Formula One commission on Monday.
Final decisions are expected to be announced at the World Motor Sport Council on March 18, the same day as Friday’s first practice session for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel on Thursday said he hoped Masi, whose future is in question, would stay.
Ricciardo acknowledged the pressure Masi was under, with the Australian having also to cope with lobbying over the team radio from Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and his Red Bull rival Christian Horner.
“I think there’s enough pressure on us as drivers and we’re happy to take the pressure but there’s definitely some personnel in the sport that aren’t used to the pressure or don’t maybe ask for that pressure.
“So then to make big decisions with that is a bit foreign for them as well.”
McLaren on Friday took the wraps off their MCL36 Formula One challenger that will be raced by Briton Lando Norris and Ricciardo in 2022.
The car features sleek, swept-back aerodynamics and bigger 18-inch wheels, sporting the 2022 look ushered in by a radical rules overhaul aimed at improving wheel-to-wheel racing.
McLaren returned to winning ways last season with Ricciardo handing the team their first Formula One victory since 2012 at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
Daniel Ricciardo celebrates his win at Monza last season.Credit:Getty Images
The team were on course to finish third in the overall standings but slipped behind Ferrari towards the end of the season.
The 2022 rules could shake up the form book but McLaren, who are still building the team up into a championship-fighting force, are cautious about their chances of making big leaps up the order.
“For me the most important thing is that we keep this positive momentum up, that we keep making steps as a team,” said team principal Andreas Seidl.
“We want to get back to fighting for race wins regularly and fighting for championships again in the future.
“But at the same time we know the reality that we still have some important building blocks like the wind tunnel and the infrastructure side to finish in the next two years,” added the German.
Reuters
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