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Nearly four years after Abu Dhabi 2021, the scars still haven’t healed. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has once again taken aim at former race director Michael Masi, calling him “still a lunatic” in a recent interview. The words reopened one of Formula 1’s most painful chapters, the night that decided a world title and changed the sport’s credibility forever.
As the FIA works to rebuild trust in its race control system, Wolff’s comments show that the past still casts a long shadow over the present.
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The 2021 wounds that never closed
For many fans, the 2021 season finale was Formula 1 at its dramatic best; for Mercedes, it remains a nightmare. In the closing laps at Yas Marina, Masi’s controversial decision to selectively let lapped cars unlap themselves placed Max Verstappen directly behind Lewis Hamilton for a one-lap shootout. Verstappen passed, won his first title, and the sport’s world was turned upside down.
Wolff’s furious radio outburst, “No, Michael, no! That was so not right!”, became an instant symbol of outrage. Mercedes protested, then withdrew. The FIA admitted “human error,” Masi was replaced, but the damage lingered.
“I lost faith in the system that night,” Wolff said at the time. And in 2025, his tone hasn’t softened. “He never understood the responsibility he had or the damage he caused,” Wolff said of Masi. “Millions of fans and an entire sport were affected. That’s not something you just move on from.”
What Wolff really means
Wolff’s words are rarely impulsive. His latest outburst comes as the FIA once again faces scrutiny over inconsistent stewarding and unclear decisions. Incidents in Singapore and Austin, involving track limits, safety car timing, and penalties, reignited doubts over race control’s consistency.
By invoking Masi, Wolff is framing a larger question: can the FIA truly be trusted to manage fairness? “We still see moments where decisions feel arbitrary,” he said. “That cannot happen in a billion-dollar competition.”
Critics argue that Wolff also has a political motive. Mercedes has endured a difficult season, overshadowed by Red Bull and McLaren, and the easiest way to shift focus from on-track struggles is to highlight structural failings. Still, his point resonates with many in the paddock. The sport’s governance, four years later, still struggles with credibility.
How the FIA tried to reform its race control
After Abu Dhabi, the FIA promised sweeping reforms. Masi was replaced by a rotating team of race directors, supported by a “Virtual Race Control Room” in Geneva designed to provide live data oversight, a kind of VAR for Formula 1. Team-to-race-control radio messages were restricted, to reduce political pressure mid-race.
It was a sensible plan on paper, but the execution has been mixed. Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas, the two directors alternating the role, have both faced criticism for inconsistency and slow decision-making. Drivers including Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso have publicly called for more clarity. “The rules are black and white on paper but grey on the track,” Norris said recently.
The FIA admits the system is still evolving. A review for 2026 is underway, possibly reintroducing a single permanent race director supported by more automation and digital verification tools. But for now, trust remains fragile, and Wolff’s comments have torn open an old debate that never really disappeared.
Why Wolff’s words hit a nerve now
That Wolff chose to speak out now, late in 2025, is telling. The championship is heading into its climax, Verstappen is again leading the charge, and every controversial stewarding call revives memories of 2021. Fans on social media routinely refer to any FIA misstep as “another Abu Dhabi moment.”
For Mercedes, the trauma runs deeper. Abu Dhabi was the night a decade of dominance ended. Since then, no world title. The incident has become a dividing line between eras — between confidence and caution.
Wolff’s comments tap into that psychology. They’re not just about Masi; they’re about closure, or the lack thereof. “We’ve all moved on,” said one senior engineer privately, “but Toto still sees that moment as the day Formula 1 lost its soul.”
Others in the paddock urge perspective. “Everyone knows 2021 was mishandled,” one rival team boss told Autosport. “But we can’t keep reopening the same wound every season. It helps nobody.” Yet, the emotional impact of that night, Hamilton parked silently in his car, Verstappen in disbelief, the world arguing over fairness, still defines modern F1’s moral landscape.
A legacy that won’t fade
The Masi controversy has become more than a personal feud. It’s a symbol of Formula 1’s constant tension between drama and justice. Without that balance, every future title fight risks feeling tainted.
For Wolff, reopening the conversation might be painful, but it’s also a reminder of what’s at stake. “We need a sport that’s fair and transparent,” he said. “Otherwise, what’s the point?”
Whether you side with him or not, one thing is clear: Abu Dhabi 2021 isn’t just history. It’s a scar that still shapes the present, and maybe the future, of Formula 1.
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