Michael Masi has landed a new job in motorsport less than two months after walking away from the FIA.
The Australian was Formula 1's race director up to the end of last season, when he was at the centre of a title-deciding storm. His failure to correctly apply safety car rules in a pressurised situation at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix saw Max Verstappen become world champion while Lewis Hamilton missed out, many felt unfairly.
It seemed for a while as though Masi might hold on to his role, but as the furore refused to die down over the off-season the FIA was left with no choice but to act. He was replaced, and a new role created within the organisation so he could continue.
But just a few months later, in July, he decided to walk away from motorsport's governing body altogether. A statement read: "The FIA confirms that Michael Masi has decided to leave the FIA and relocate to Australia to be closer to his family and take on new challenges."
A few weeks later he felt ready to open up on the abuse he received in the wake of that Abu Dhabi finale. Masi revealed he had been subjected to death threats and said he "felt like I was the most hated man in the world".
He added: "People were saying they were going to come after me and my family. They were shocking – racist, abusive, vile, they called me every name under the sun. And they kept on coming. Not just on my Facebook but also on my LinkedIn, which is supposed to be a professional platform for business. It was the same type of abuse."
It does not seem to have entirely put him off continuing his career in the public eye, though. After returning to his homeland, Masi has now been confirmed as the chairman of the Supercars Commission in Australia, replacing outgoing chief Neil Crompton.
He said: "I view this role as continuing the amazing work already done by Neil and the Commission to lead Supercars into a brand new era with the introduction of the Gen3 Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang.
"I'm very proud to have been appointed to this role and look forward to working with the key stakeholders in the sport to ensure the future is an exciting one for our teams, partners, sponsors and most importantly the fans."
