After the ignominy and anger caused by the controversial conclusion to last season’s finale in Abu Dhabi, acting to rebuild trust in the FIA as Formula One’s governing body should have been paramount. Yet so far this week the organisation has instead delivered little more than disbelief and disappointment. Where clarity and decisive action were required, insiders paint a picture more akin to a drunk lurching toward an unknown destination, babbling meaningless entreaties.
Dealing with the fallout from the interventions in Abu Dhabi by race director Michael Masi that ultimately ensured Max Verstappen took the title by overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the final lap has been the single most important task facing the FIA. It is also the biggest test facing the newly appointed FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
