In a thrilling conclusion to the 2021 Formula 1 season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ended in controversy, leading to a heated aftermath. Toto Wolff, the team principal of Mercedes, once again openly criticized Michael Masi, who was the race director at the time, calling him a "pathological egomaniac."
The climax of the 2021 Formula 1 season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix remains one of the sport's most contentious moments. Lewis Hamilton seemed poised to secure the world championship until a late-race incident involving Nicholas Latifi brought out the safety car. While Hamilton remained on track with older tires, his Red Bull rival, Max Verstappen, seized the moment to switch to a new set of soft tires.
In a move that would become highly debated, Michael Masi allowed only the cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to un-lap themselves, setting the stage for a dramatic final-lap showdown.
Verstappen capitalized on this opportunity, overtaking Hamilton and securing his first Formula 1 world championship.
The decision sparked immediate uproar, with Toto Wolff visibly furious over the race's handling. His criticism of Masi didn't fade with time.
In the recent book release, 'The Formula,' by Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg, Wolff's disdain for Masi's decision-making during the race is evident.
Wolff is quoted as saying: "When I think about it again, it's so unfair what happened to Lewis and the team that day.
And that one individual didn't follow the rules and just let it happen," directly calling out Masi's actions.
Wolff's remarks didn't stop at questioning the fairness of the decision.
He went on to disparage Masi personally, saying, "He's a totally unimportant person: he lives on the other side of the world and no one is interested in him. He really was a completely pathological egomaniac."
In an interview with GQ, the seven-time world champion also commented on the race result: "Was I robbed? Obviously," he said.
"But I think what was really beautiful in that moment, which I take away from it, was my dad was with me. And we'd gone through this huge roller coaster of life together, ups and downs.
"And the day that it hurt the most, he was there, and the way he raised me was to always stand up, keep your head high.
And I obviously went to congratulate Max, and not realizing the impact that that would have, but also I was really conscious of, like, there's a mini-me watching.
"This is the defining moment of my life. And I think it really was. I felt it. I didn't know how it was going to be perceived.
I hadn't visualized it. But I was definitely conscious of: These next 50 meters that I walk is where I fall to the ground and die—or I rise up."