Masi unimpressed: 'When someone says that, it's very offensive'

Formula One race director Michael Masi has had a tough weekend. He came under heavy fire for his decision to only take out some of the cars with a lap gap between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, and then allow the race to continue for one final lap. It came in for a lot of criticism from the Mercedes team, which is not the first time.

Hamilton accused Masi in 2020 of endangering the lives of F1 drivers in order to create more action on the track. The controversy arose when the race resumed after the safety car was sent onto the track in the Tuscan Grand Prix.

Masi did not want anything to do with the criticism at the time. "From an FIA perspective, safety is paramount, full stop. End of story," the Australian said. Express. "In my capacity as the race director and safety delegate, point blank, that's where my role sits as the sporting integrity and safety."

Masi is therefore not particularly enamoured with Mercedes' accusations. "Anyone that says otherwise is actually quite offensive," he continues. "They can criticise all they want. At the end of the day, the safety car lights go out where they do, the safety car is in the pit lane."

Mercedes announced shortly after the stewards' ruling, which declared Mercedes' protests to be unfounded, that they intend to appeal the decision again. It doesn't seem to get that far as yet.