This year, the extraordinary competitiveness of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen has revealed the limitations of Michael Masi as a race director, but also of a system that is not working.
What could have been one of the best seasons in the history of the Formula 1 it is already marked by incidents and confrontations that partially stain the competition.
But, although there are many who point to Lewis hamilton already Max verstappen As guilty of the tense situation as the championship reaches its final round in Abu Dhabi, in reality these two phenomenal competitors are only fighting with the weapons they have. And we do not mean exclusively what depends on their cars, their equipment and themselves.
1. The loopholes
Modern Formula 1 has opted for circuits in which the asphalt loopholes they have become the norm. Rare is the curve in which the track boundaries are determined with a gravel loophole on the other side of the piano and this has created new situations that were not a problem in the past.
The large asphalt loopholes allow tricks and, above all, interpretations of the regulation
In other times, there was no halftones or interpretationsIt was simply not possible to gain an advantage or overtake outside the track and the debate or point of view of the stewards in relation to these actions did not exist or was irrelevant.
Currently, large asphalt loopholes allow tricks and, above all, interpretations of the regulation that end up muddying the competition, as they generate unnecessary controversy.
2. Ambiguity and inconsistency
The first point takes us to the second, because those recurrent actions of drivers trying to overtake on the outside and being expelled to the outside of the track or, directly, taking the easy way to gain position, are not being arbitrated in a uniform and strict manner.
The same can be said for many other infractions (yellow flags, Safety Car periods, unsafe releases and many more). What is punishable in one Grand Prix, may not be so in the next And, as we have verified this year, with total certainty it will not be two or three races later or it will be sanctioned in a different way.
The rules are not clear and the pilots know it. And suffer it.
3. Naivety
Again, the second point leads us to the third: Michael Masi, as race director and representative of the FIA, is committing a serious act of naivety, because for some reason he thinks that the motivation of teams with hundreds or thousands of employees and budgets hundreds of millions of dollars, as well as professional pilots, is compete fairly.
No, it is not. The goal that every professional competitor has is to win. Or at least rank as high as possible. Neither Lewis Hamilton nor Max Verstappen are going to think that, when returning position for having gained it illicitly, it is necessary to do it in the fairest way possible for the opponent, to take a recent example. No, that task falls to the governing body, represented in the figure of Michael Masi.
Each one has, or should have, a well-defined role. The FIA must ensure fair and controlled competition. The pilots strive to transform the investment and effort of their team, the brand they represent and themselves into results. And they do it with the rules that the FIA puts at their fingertips, whatever they may be. The goal is first place, not the trophy for sportsmanship or the satisfaction of participating.
For years, rivalry in Formula 1 has been conspicuous by its absence relative to the championship, with the notable exception of 2016. At that time, Charlie Whiting was very clear about what limits could not be exceededregardless of whether we more or less liked their decisions.
Michael Masi took over from the late Whiting in 2019 and this year he has had to face, for the first time, a brutal dispute between two teams and drivers who push their ambition to the limit. And it doesn’t measure up. Is it the drivers’ fault that we arrive in Abu Dhabi with the inevitable feeling that this World Cup will be decided by an accident? Partly yes. But essentially no.