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Formula One F1 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – December 12, 2021 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton celebrates finishing second in the race with the trophy Pool via REUTERS/Kamran Jebreili
Reuters
Formula One F1 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – December 12, 2021 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton celebrates finishing second in the race with the trophy Pool via REUTERS/Kamran Jebreili
The controversy surrounding the Abu Dhabi season finale does not seem to end. Recently, the FIA announced that they have fired the racing director, Michael Masi, and replaced him with 2 new race directors and VAR. But the news of the firing of Masi was met with mixed reactions from the F1 paddock.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes that the behavior of Lewis Hamilton during the offseason was not correct. Marko mentioned that Hamilton’s behavior may have influenced the firing of Masi.
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“There were clear indications that Lewis Hamilton would not stop”: Helmut Marko
As reported by Soy Motor, the Red Bull advisor states that Lewis Hamilton was never going to retire at the end of the 2021 season. It was indicated that the 7-time world champion had lost faith in the sport. This led many to believe that the Mercedes driver would not continue racing in F1.
“There were clear indications that Hamilton would not stop because there was no movement in the driver market. If Hamilton had informed Mercedes that he was taking a step back, they would have quickly started looking for a replacement. However, that was not the case,” said Marko.
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Formula One F1 – Pre-Season Testing – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain – February 25, 2022, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton during testing REUTERS/Albert Gea
The uncertainty regarding his future brought out reports he would only return if Masi was no longer the race director. Helmut also believes that if the new rules were in place for Masi, the decision he made would have been easier.
“With his silence, he just wanted to show his dissatisfaction with the situation and with the decisions. Some of that behavior later led to Masi being fired from his position. I don’t think it’s right. You have to look at his actions over the years.”
“If Masi had had at his disposal everything that is going to come in now, the VAR and an advisor, it would have been easier for him to decide,” said the Red Bull advisor.
These are certainly strong claims made by the Red Bull advisor against Hamilton. But it is still unclear whether the reports of Hamilton’s retirement had anything to do with the changes made by FIA.
Let’s see how the 7-time world champion responds to Marko’s comments.
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