The FIA has seemingly relieved Michael Masi of his duties as race director, with the Australian not featuring in the FIA General Organisation Chart that was released this month.
Masi was listed as “head of single-seaters sporting matters” in the October organisation chart – the most recent version of the document to be released prior to the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
This development comes just a day after the BBC reported that Mercedes and the FIA had struck a deal that will result in Masi being fired.
The FIA agreed to firing Masi in exchange for Mercedes dropping their intention to appeal the result of the 2021 Formula 1 season finale at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
READ: Hamilton’s retirement could be imminent after ‘big blow to the head’
Furthermore, it was alleged that Nikolas Tombazis – the governing body’s head of single-seater technical matters – would lose his role as part of Mercedes’ deal with the FIA.
He is also absent from the latest FIA General Organisation Chart.
Specifically, the BBC reports a “senior source” revealed to them that the Brackley-based team “dropped their appeal against the results of the race after agreeing a quid pro quo deal with the FIA.”
Continuing, they said: “This deal was said to be that Masi and FIA head of single-seater technical matters Nikolas Tombazis would no longer be in their positions for the 2022 season.”
The Silver Arrows, however, reportedly denied having reached such an arrangement with the FIA.
Although Mercedes are not taking any further action to try to overturn the result of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – which many Hamilton supporters have described as being “rigged” – some F1 fans are trying to get justice via a petition.
READ: Hamilton ‘keeping pressure firmly’ on FIA investigation
The petition, titled “Overturn the decision of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Lewis should be the winner,” has received over 65,000 signatures on Change.org.
Meanwhile, a poll by Formula1News.co.uk found that 82 percent of readers believe that the season finale was not rigged against Hamilton and Mercedes.
This poll was conducted amid rumours that Hamilton is considering retiring from Formula 1 as a result of the heartbreak and perceived injustice he suffered in the 2021 season finale.
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