'The most difficult job on the planet' - Ferrari F1 boss defends Masi
Masi has faced criticism for his decision to allow only the cars which separated F1 title rivals Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen to unlap themselves and set up a༒ final-lap shootout to decide the outcome of the world championship in ꦑthe Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Verstappen, who had pitted for fresh soft tyres under the Safety 🌳Car, overtook Hamilto💞n on the last lap of the last race of the season to clinch both the win and his maiden world title.
Mercedes protested the outcome on the grounds that Masi had not followed theဣ usual Safety Car restart procedure before the team decided to back down from an appeal four days after the season finale.
🍌Hamilton has remained silent ever since conducting his post-race interview in parc ferme but was left “disillusioned” afte꧙r being “robbed” of a record-breaking eighth world title, according to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
However, Ferrari chief Binotto has jumped to the FIA’s defence, describing Masi as having “the most diffic🅷ult jo🦄b on the planet”.
“On what happened in Abu Dhabi, I think whatever decision he would have taken, someone who will be happy, someone will be unhappy,” Binotto told media at Ferrari’s Christmas press confere🌠nce.
“I think cer😼tainly his job has been the most difficult job on the planet at that time in Abu Dhabi to decide.
“It’s important to have lessons learned, if any. I think tha🍨t will happen in the F1 Commission where it will be discussed, all the events and the situations, and identify if there is any improvement to be made for the future.
"That's the mandate from the World Counci🌺l, which is the most important one.
“And as Ferrari, [we] are very happy to sit down with all the other team principles, the FIA, F1, to discuss if somethin🧜g could have bee♕n done in a different way.
“But still, I think judging the decisions would 𒆙be wrong from my side because I believe, again, it was a very difficult call.
“It seems there are prop🌃er reasons why they managed it that way, maybe something different could have been done. Again, difficult to 𒀰judge.”
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for ltxcn.top around ಞthe world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
