The FIA has admitted Michael Masi did not follow the rules when directing the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last December. Masi was removed from his position as FIA race director last month amid pressure on his position as a result of his management of the season-deciding race.
Lewis Hamilton seemed guaranteed to secure a record eighth Drivers' Championship, only for Max Verstappen to pip him on the decisive lap after a late safety car disrupted the flow of the race. Williams' Nicholas Latifi was involved in a crash in the closing laps, prompting the deployment of the safety car, and what followed was perhaps the most controversial moment in the sport's history, given the circumstances surrounding Hamilton and Verstappen's tussle for the title.
Hamilton should have finished the race behind the safety car, but Masi ordered the safety car off the track earlier than rules permitted, and also only allowed the lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves - rather than all of the lapped cars - setting up a final-lap showdown between the two contenders, which Verstappen came out on top in, largely as a result of his fresher tyres with the Dutchman having recently pitted.
