Has Michael Masi been sacked? Why was F1 chief removed from FIA organizational chart?

Michael Masi was not named in the current FIA General Organisation Chart, which was released this month following the appointment of newly-elected FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Since officiating at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December 2021, Masi has faced a barrage of criticism over his last-lap decision that helped Red Bull's Max Verstappen defeat Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in the driver's championship race. 

Masi's decision to speed up the safety car procedure to complete the final lap at the Yas Marina circuit proved to be a blessing in disguise for Verstappen, who was able to overtake Hamilton courtesy of his fresh tyres. Hamilton was the leading driver for the last several laps before Verstappen overtook the Mercedes driver. The decision helped Verstappen win his maiden F1 World Championship title. 

Why is Masi not listed in the FIA Organisation Chart?

If media reports are to be believed, Masi's dismissal as 'head of single-seaters sporting matters' comes just days after it was suggested that Mercedes and the FIA had agreed to a deal, which will see the German car manufacturer drop its intention to challenge the outcome of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on condition that Masi is sacked.

The BBC reported earlier this month that the FIA has agreed to dismiss Masi from his job in exchange for Mercedes dropping its plans to challenge the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix result at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Meanwhile, Nikolas Tombazis, FIA's head of single-seater technical matters, was also missing from the General Organisation Chart of the governing body. It is believed that Tombazis has also been sacked from his position over the row at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December. 

What happened at Yas Marina? 

Lewis Hamilton appeared to be heading for his record eighth crown after leading from the start but a late crash for Nicholas Latifi's Williams brought out the Safety Car. While there was no controversy about the safety car being brought out since there was a safety issue, what happened after was discussed for days to come. There seemed to be confusion with the race control as first they stated that they would not allow lapped cars to overtake, but sooner gave out a different statement and confirmed that lapped cars would be able to overtake. With lapped cars being allowed to overtake, Verstappen was right behind Hamilton on much fresher tyres, allowing him to pass the Brit easily.

Image: Formula1.com