Red Bull-Masi F1 radio messages ‘really uncomfortable’ - Brundle

Radio transmissions between Masi and Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley were widely-circulated on Wednesday despite having already been made public by F1 on YouTube on December 16, four days after last year’s controversial title-decider in Abu Dhabi. 

Masi has come under intense scrutiny for his decision to allow only the lapped cars between title protagonists Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen to unlap themselves, as well as the timing of the Safety Car ending. 

Hamilton was left exposed to Verstappen, who had pitted under the Safety Car for fresh tyres, when the race resumed for one final lap and the Red Bull driver subsequently passed his rival to clinch both the win and championship. 

"It's not new news, and also I think you have to understand that it's not necessarily telling Michael Masi something he didn't already know,” Brundle told Sky Sports. 

”Let's not assume it's giving Masi information he didn't already know in terms of what he could and couldn't do in terms of the lapped pack.

"Of course it's really uncomfortable, and a lot of people are unhappy: [Lewis] Hamilton fans, Mercedes fans.

"And you don't even have to be a Lewis Hamilton fan to think that forever he should be an eight-time world champion, because, for me, the really crucial regulation that wasn't carried out was that the safety car should have come in at the end of the following lap.

"But we also know that unwritten rules and meetings, which shouldn't supersede anything, were: let's try not to have a race finish behind the safety car.

"Hugely unacceptable. I met so many fans that were new to Formula 1 last year particularly, and fans in general, that were hugely upset by what happened.

"We cannot - and we know it's going to change - have teams getting at the referee while he's trying to make critical decisions with cars on the track and marshals and breakdown vehicles.

"The car was on fire at certain times. He's trying to manage that and he's getting lobbied left, right and centre.

"You can imagine that on the football ground or rugby ground is completely unacceptable. And that will change.

"It's not pretty for Formula 1 at all, but I don't think this audio changes the really uncomfortable narrative of what happened.”

What was said over team radio? 

During the exchange, Wheatley is heard advising Masi on how to deal with the lapped cars that are separating leaders Hamilton and Verstappen during the late Safety Car period. 

“Those lapped cars; you don't need to let them go right the way around and catch up with the back of the pack,” Wheatley says. “You only need to let them go, and then we've got a motor race on our hands.”

Masi replies: “Understood.”

After the race, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff tells Masi his decision was “not right”, to which Masi responds: “Toto, it’s called a motor race, OK?”

In a statement, the FIA, which is expected to reveal the findings of its investigation to the F1 Commission on Monday, said: "We are aware of this and it is part of the investigation."

Brundle previously warned that removing the under-pressure Masi from his position as race director would not fix F1’s wider problem.

Asked how he now viewed the situation, Brundle replied: "I made a comment that changing Michael Masi won't fix the problem, meaning that it's way too big a job for one person. 

"That doesn't mean to say I'm in full support for Michael Masi. I think he'll struggle to keep that position.

"The trouble is that the spotlight will be on him, and every single decision will be analysed.

"What happens if Lewis is up for a penalty? Will he be lenient on that? I think he's in an untenable situation.

"You can't unravel the result. Red Bull did nothing wrong, and Ferrari did nothing wrong in third place for example. You can't penalise them.

"The FIA can only penalise themselves for getting it wrong on the day. Michael Masi got it wrong, due to a lot of circumstances."