17/01/2022
NEWS STORY
Sky pundits Martin Brundle and Johnny Herbert disagree over Michael Masi's future as race director.
While the British tabloids insist that the matter is done and dusted and that Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton have basically issued an ultimatum, either Michael Masi goes or the seven-time world champion walks away from F1, the reality is that the issue has not yet been resolved. Or so we are told.
Despite curiosities such as Masi's (and Nikolas Tombazis') omission from the FIA's organisational structure chart issued this month, and the fact that Marcin Budkowski has suddenly become available - the Pole having previously been groomed as a potential replacement by Charlie Whiting himself - the sport's governing body insists that its investigation into the events in Abu Dhabi have some way to go.
In a special edition of Sky Sports F1 Show, driver turned commentator, Martin Brundle and driver turned pundit, Johnny Herbert were at odds over the Australian's future.
Asked whether he believes that Hamilton will leave the sport unless Masi is replaced as race director, Brundle was adamant.
"Absolutely not, I don't buy any of it to be honest," he responded.
"I'm sure Toto has been asked by Lewis, 'what are you doing about this?'," he continued, "but Formula 1 is fantastically successful for the Mercedes-Benz brand, while Lewis is 37 years old and we know he's driving at his peak, incredibly determined and competitive. He'll be back."
Referring to the fact that Mercedes and Hamilton, according to media reports, are allegedly putting a gun to the FIA's head, threatening 'it's him (Masi) or us!', Brundle said: "I'm a little bit uncomfortable of a team and a driver starting to determine who is doing what in race control, or any other role in F1.
"That's the tail wagging the dog to a certain extent," he added.
"If I was a Formula 1 boss and my driver came to me and said I don't want to race anymore if that guy is staying around, I would immediately stop thinking about race control and thinking has my driver lost his motivation, which of course he hasn't. Lewis will be back and he'll be pressing the throttle ever harder."
Herbert, on the other hand, insists that Masi's future as race director has become untenable.
"I think he's done too much damage to Formula 1," he said. "The position that he's in, you've got to have trust, and I think that trust has completely and utterly evaporated.
"The problem is who do you replace him with?" he admitted. "Because obviously experience is going to be very important for the man who slots into that position.
"Michael was very fortunate," he continued, "he was underneath Charlie Whiting when Charlie was head of it and he learned a lot of good things from that point of view. Is there anybody that stands out for me at the moment to replace him? No. and that is the conundrum."
"What I absolutely know for sure is that changing Michael Masi will not fix the problem," said Brundle. "This is way too big a job for one person to handle this in a 23-race season, it's only going to grow.
"Back in the day with 16-18 races for Charlie and Herbie (Blash), Charlie used to start the race and Herbie was effectively the race director until Charlie got back from the starting rostrum down near the grid. They had it all under control, but it's just growing exponentially so Masi if he stays needs a lot of support around him and I suspect that's what they're looking at, at the moment.
"And who would actually want to step into his shoes right now?"
Of course, the discussion can hardly be described non-partisan, as this is an all-British line-up of pundits employed by a British broadcaster discussing a matter central to the future of one of the sport's greatest ever drivers, who also happens to be British and driving for a team based in Britain.
1996 world champion, Damon Hill, who has been a constant critic of Max Verstappen this year - but has clearly found the time to rearrange his home office - reflected on his own watershed moment back in 1994 when pondering Hamilton's future and the decision he must make.
"I wanted to win a championship," he said. "Lewis has already won seven, it's a bit different. He might just think I've done all I can do. But I'm sure that eighth title is just too tempting, I'm sure he'll want to come back and have it and put all this to rest."