Michael Masi reveals death threats after Abu Dhabi F1 finale
Masi was sacked after his incorrect application of the rules during a late Safety Car at the 2021 Abu Dhabi finale altered the outcome of the world championship, enabling Max Verstappen to beat Lewis Hamilton to the drivers’ c𒅌rown on the last lap.
The Australian has kept a low-profile ever since Abu Dhabi but recently broke his silence after his 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:departure from the FIA was 💮for🌳mally announced earlier this month.
An FIA inquiry into the contentious finale stated that Masi had acted in “good faith” and concluded that “human error” was to blame for the handling of the Safety Car r🀅estart.
Speaking in his first interview🍌 since the December 12 race, Masi opened up about the level of abuse he was subjected to in the wake of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
"There were some dark days," Masi told News Corp.
"Absolutely, I felt like I was the🀅 most hated man in the world. I got death threats. People saying they were goi🍨ng to come after me and my family.”
Masi, who has signed a non-disclosure agreement wiꦛth the FIA which prevents him from discussing the decisions he took, added: “I still remember wa꧙lking down the street in London a day or two later. I thought I was OK until I started looking over my shoulder.
“I was looking at peop𓂃le wondering if they were going to get me.”
Masi rev💎ealed he was confronted with “hundreds of messages” on Facebook and LinkedIn.
“They were shocking,” he said. “Racist, abusive, vile, they called me every name unde🤡𓆏r 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 abus♎e.”
Masi, who did not seek pr🔜ofessional help, admitted he struggled to deal with th💙e abuse.
"I didn't want 💙to talk to anyone," he said. "Not 🥂even family and friends. I only talked to my close family - but very briefly.
"It did have a physical impact, but it was more mental. I just wanted to be in a bubble. I hꦐad no desire to talk to them. I jus🦹t wanted to be alone, which was very challenging.
"Tཧhe whole🌜 experience has made me a much stronger person.”
Masi’s revelation comes a day after F1 lau🐬nched their ‘Drive It Out’ camꦯpaign to stamp out all kinds of abuse, both online and at events.
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix fo♉r wuqi🎶an0821.com around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
