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IMPORTANT OPINIONS

The FIA race director Michael Masi - Photo: LAT

By Bruce Williams

The FIA race director Michael Masi - Photo: LAT

The FIA race director Michael Masi – Photo: LAT

The FIA race director – Australia’s Michael Masi – has a policy of listening to the teams and drivers to get their opinions. Masi took over the job at this year’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix after Charlie Whiting, who had the post for many years, passed away on the Thursday morning of the race weekend.

By DAN KNUTSON

“One hundred per cent I am open to listening,” Masi said when he met with a small group of F1 publications including AUTO ACTION after the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I have said it to a few people: I am in to event 12 this year, and more than happy to listen.”

Masi recently talked to drivers and team managers and reviewed a number of incidents that had happened on the track between drivers. Masi wants to establish when the FIA should get involved with driver incidents and when it should not and, therefore, when he should alert the stewards about such infractions. It is up to the stewards to decide if the drivers should be penalised.

“There is just an ongoing process of trying to engage with them all, of getting their views,” Masi said.

These talks involve other incidents as well. For example, Ferrari was fined 5000 euros for the unsafe release of one of its drivers during a pit stop during the German Grand Prix. Some of the other team managers were unhappy about that penalty.

Masi met with the team managers to discuss that penalty at the race the following weekend in Hungary.

“At Thursday’s team managers meeting we had quite a good discussion,” Masi said. “It was agreed that from this weekend if during the race there is an adjudged unsafe release, that it will be a time penalty regardless if there is or is not a sporting advantage. And all the teams were quite happy with that.”

To read an exclusive interview with Masi, pick up the next edition of Auto Action, on sale Thursday.

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