Toto Wolff: Masi was “almost disrespectful”
For Toto Wolff, the former Formula 1 race director Michael Masi did not know how to question himself and became a burden.
After the setbacks experienced by the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the then race director Michael Masi has been demoted in favor of Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas. The mistakes of the race management were revealed by the report from the FIA published a few weeks earlier.
However, the Masi case continues to make waves. Questioned at a press conference during the Australian Grand Prix, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff expressed his frustration towards the Australian. It’s quite interesting because I had lunch with him on Wednesday just before the race, Wolff revealed. And I told him, “I really have to tell you, without sounding superior, that you have to accept criticism and evolve from it. Lewis does it every day, but you seem like the guy who always knows better than everyone else.”
Furthermore, Wolff revealed that some drivers were uncomfortable with Masi. Indeed, during certain briefings led by the Australian, he came close to being disrespectful towards a few drivers, explained Wolff. The team principal goes even further in his remarks, stating that Masi was becoming a burden to the sport.
He was a hindrance to the sport because everyone kept talking about Abu Dhabi and the race director, whereas the race director is not the one who should be the center of attention, but someone who does their job and ensures that the race runs according to the rules, said the Austrian.
