Michael Masi: How and why is he coming back to motorsport?
Michael Masi is making his return to motorsport, this time at the Australian Supercars Commission or the South Australian Motorsport Board.
According to Autosport.com, the former Formula 1 race director, Michael Masi, is strongly linked to two new roles within the motorsport field in Australia.
Michael Masi left his role as FIA Race Director in Formula 1 earlier this year, back in July, following the heavy public backlash he received from fans, as a result of his controversial decision in the 2021 F1 season finale race in Abu Dhabi.
Following a Nicholas Latifi crash on one of the last few laps of the race, Masi ordered for the five lapped cars in between Verstappen and Hamilton to pass through and unlap themselves during the safety car period, before bringing the safety car back into the pits for one final lap of racing of the 2021 Formula 1 season. This decision allowed Max Verstappen to easily pass Lewis Hamilton and take victory of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and subsequently win the 2021 Drivers' Championship. This decision lead to Masi receiving heavy criticism from fans, including abuse and death threats.
After leaving the FIA, it was reported that Masi relocated back to his home country, Australia, in order to spend more time with his family. Masi hasn't taken on any new motorsport roles until now, where he is set to become the new chairman of the Supercars Commission in Australia, as well as being linked to a role on the newly reconstructed South Australian Motorsport Board.
In an interview with speedcafe.com, Michael Masi responded with surprise when questioned about the Supercars Commission role. He was quick to state that the links between him and the role were indeed "only rumours" and that he has numerous offers for positions from all over the world and he is yet to confirm acceptance on any of those offers.
If Masi accepts the offer of chairman of the Supercars Commission, it'll be one that he is accustomed to, as his last position before joining the FIA and Formula 1 in 2018, was as the deputy race director for the Supercars Commission.
The position of chairman of the Supercars Commission is available, following the departure of Neil Crompton, a former driver and commentator of the series. A spokesman from the Supercars series told GPFans.com that "no decision has been made and discussions are continuing on confirming a new chair for the commission". Although discussions may be taking place between the Australian series and Michael Masi, the support of all 11 team owners must be obtained before the position is awarded.
If Masi decides to take on a role at the South Australian Motorsport Board, he will be part of a team responsible for running the Adelaide 500. One of the board's main priorities was to bring back the street race to the Supercars calendar, which has been done successfully as it will be the closing race of the Supercars series, taking place in early December.