The FIA under the new leadership of Mohammed Ben Sulayem is in crisis. He allegedly refused the teams agreed position on increasing the number of Sprint race weekends to 6 on Tuesday. Now he has his key F1 race directors Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas possibly unavailable for the inaugural Miami GP in just over a week.
Both have tested positive for Covid and were they to be in isolation for a similar period to Sebastian Vettel who missed the first two race weekends of the season, they will be unable to officiate in the United States in two weeks time.
The operational activates required to run an F1 race are complex and it is nigh on impossible to parachute in another official without experience of running an F1 weekend.
A source this evening told ‘The Mail’, “The FIA are totally lost what to do”, adding, “’Drivers’ lives are on the line and they don’t seem to have a structure in place for the possibility that neither official is negative in time to fly.”
In realistic terms there is only one solution. To recall Michael Massi.
It is imperative the race weekend is managed by someone who understands how the marshals, emergency services, safety car procedures and a whole host of technical issues should be performed.
Clearly this would be a red rag to a bull for Mercedes AMG F1 and Lewis Hamilton, but at present the FIA have no backup plan and it appears the most expedient solution.
After high hopes new FIA president, Ben Sulayem, would usher in a new era for the FIA, where greater competence would be evident – this lack of preparation is a very poor start.
There is no question that Lewis Hamilton has had a stellar F1 career, but to describe his achievements as a “masterpiece “ still being made is simply delusional. His success is owed in equal parts to his car, his team and his talent.
Even in the 80’s and 90’s when the car was less part of the driver/car mix, it was generally accepted the car was 80% – driver 20%
Spot on Tony! Only hamfosi who have their noses up you-knoe-where will disagree with you! Also, I do not think it is right to blame FIA for lack of preparation. These are Force Majeure events – not ones that you can prepare for.
Incidentally, Welcome Back Michael! This is Karma in action for all the obscene treatment you were meted out. But do not give in to the threats of the Wolf and Hyena. Do your job without fear or favour.
If both have tested positive, they should have enough time for isolation completion unless they’d have to isolate for ten days, which would last until practice day.
In case they couldn’t, Masi is unlikely.
Herbie Flash & Colin Haywood would be more likely options, with Scott Elkins possibly another alternative.
Massi should be the least of mercs worries.
We all know that Masi would be a mistake. After the official papers from FIA that human error was the case. Then why would they bring a person back who is capable of doing the same again? As for drivers not been world champions because they had the fastest car etc. So what your all saying is that Vettel, Schumacher, Jackie Stewart, senna, prost and Verstappens were just drivers who had the fastest cars and won? Yet we see their team mates with the same car and they couldn’t. And we also hear that Hamilton is useless because Russel is faster and finishing higher up. Is that because Russel has the same car on same settings or is a better driver? Surely we can’t have it both ways. I see no one mentioned the power that FIA head have honcho has when he alone refused to increase it to 6 races. Surely that’s not right. We all know that Mercedes will eventually come good again may take them the season. But once they don’t will we hear the same rubbish that when Hamilton or Russel become champions that it was the car not them? When in the same breath you mentioned Verstappen been world champion but seem to forget he has the fastest car. What will you all day if Verstappen or leclerc win? Fastest car again or world class? Where were their team mates? Why are they not winning, after all they have the fastest car?
I will try and repost my comment
How does The “Judge” know that there isn’t already a continency plan?
He doesn’t, its pure negative conjecture
Yup Herbie Blash and Colin Haywood are the deputy race directors, so they take charge when the race director is unavailable
2 weeks is more than enough to finish isolation. And what are the chances that both of them got positive at the same time? But they really should have a backup plan and that shouldn’t be Massi. He was fired for a reason.
#FreeMichaelMassi