FIA Formula 1 Race Director Michael Masi has been utterly criticised following his 2021 F1 final lap decisions, which was decided the driver’s championship. Masi’s strange safety car call benefitted to Max Verstappen who beaten Lewis Hamilton to F1 title.

Meanwhile, the new FIA Organisation Chart has been released for the month of January 2022, and Masi is absent on the list under the single-seater section, this is first organisation chart after newly elected FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who replaced Jean Todt.

Initially Mercedes protested the results following the 2021 F1 season finale Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Silver Arrows withdrew its appeal after the FIA dedicated to launching an “analysis and clarification exercise”.

Also, a ‘senior source’ said that Mercedes had a deal agreeing to drop their appeal as long as Masi and Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA’s head of single-seater technical matters, were fired.

Masi has served as the race director for F1 since March 2019 when predecessor Charlie Whiting died just days before that year’s F1 season was due to start.

Recently Sky sports reported that, FIA confirms that Abu Dhabi Grand Prix investigation will complete in early February. Even as Mercedes still claiming that Masi contravened FIA regulations in doing so. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff expressed that Hamilton being “disillusioned” after he was “robbed” of a record-breaking eighth title. The Seven-time F1 world champion has not communicated publicly or on social media in a month.

Sky Sports F1 reporter Slater said that: “They (Mercedes) want to find out what the FIA decide should be the fall-out from what went on over those final laps in Abu Dhabi where, as far as they are concerned, Lewis Hamilton lost an eighth World title because of a misreading of the rules, chiefly by race director Michael Masi.

“I can report that three weeks is how long the FIA have set themselves to deal with this matter. Work only began in earnest on it on Monday [January 10], that’s to say this FIA commission started to interview those involved.

“This is going to go on. The FIA have told me they will not be dragging this out. It was a concern of Mercedes that it would take so long that it would jeopardise Lewis Hamilton’s pre-season, if he didn’t have these findings well in advance and could take a decision about 2022.

“They also say to me that the [internal] investigation will be thorough, objective and transparent as well. This should be done by February 3rd, at which point the FIA have a [World] Motor Sport Council meeting and hopefully they expect to announce those findings by then.”

Max Verstappen beaten Lewis Hamilton to clinch 2021 Formula 1 world title in the much-debated Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Also, the Dutchman has been elected as the best driver in the 2021 F1 by team principals.

The same F1 championship points system applied in this voting procedure, 25 for the top driver down to one for 10th in each list.

Verstappen who was made 10 race victory and 18 total podiums in this 23-race long season, awarded as best driver position – 21 points clear of Hamilton.

McLaren youngster Lando Norris received 110 points, who made 10 successive points finish. The Ferrari duo Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc received fourth and fifth position respectively.

Double-time F1 world champion, Alpine’s Fernando Alonso was voted the sixth best driver of 2021, with Pierre Gasly a fine seventh for AlphaTauri.

Top 10 drivers of 2021 F1

2021 Formula One world championship witnessed most existing title battle in the sports history between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Also, the battle concluded with huge controversy and Verstappen cliched his first F1 world title.

F1 team’s spending huge amount of money for championship points, while the crash damage cost is a biggest challenge for every team.

Hass F1 is the only team completing 2021 Championship with zero point, also their speedy Mick Schumacher in top of the list of the crash damage cost during the 2021 season. The report Schumacher’s crashes have cost Team Haas 4,212,500 Euros.

The Sun Research confirm that Mick took eight new front wings and nine new sets of suspension following F1 crash damage across the season which had 22-races in total.

Ferrari ace Charles LeClerc who cost his car 4,046,000 Euros during the entire season. 2021 F1 World Champion Max Verstappen is third on the list costing his team 3,889,000 euros.

F1 2021 driver crash costs in Euros (Source: Sky Germany)