15/02/2022
NEWS STORY
As fans demand the FIA reveals the findings of its investigation into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem insists that what matters is to protect the governing body's integrity.
Never mind the Sprints or the points allocation for events that don't go the distance, what fans wanted from Monday's meeting of the F1 Commission was the result of the investigation into the events at Abu Dhabi on 12 December.
When an official statement from the FIA merely reported that the "FIA president led detailed discussions" and "feedback from the commission on matters raised" would be "incorporated into his analysis" and he would publicly "present news of structural changes and action plan in the coming days", the reaction was immediate.
While sections of the (tabloid) media created deliberately misleading headlines, social media went into overdrive, with accusations of "corruption" at the FIA, while the hashtag #VoidLap58 trended, as fans called for the result of the race to be overturned.
As if what happened that evening in Abu Dhabi wasn't bad enough, the handling of the situation ever since has appeared to make things worse.
Ahead of the meeting, Toto Wolff and Christian Horner were seen arriving, with the media eagerly anticipating a showdown. However, later that same day came the news that the whole affair was still being considered.
Having effectively been thrown in at the deep end, Ben Sulayem is fully aware of the importance of how this plays out, but insists that the integrity of the sport's governing body is what really matters.
"We agreed on certain things, and the analysis is still going on, but it will come soon," he told Sky Sports. "It was a good discussion... information will be announced.
"But definitely, as we said, the integrity of the FIA will always be intact," he added. "I am elected to do that, but also to have a fair motorsport. That's my duty. So, it was a very good meeting.
"We went through a lot of important things for the season, so I expect a good F1 season. We can only go forward. This is important for the FIA, for the integrity of the FIA and for the sport. We can only improve the future."
Last month, Peter Bayer, the FIA official charged with leading the investigation in to the Abu Dhabi event, speaking to an Austrian journalist while the investigation was still underway, said there was the "possibility" of a new race director, as well as a restructuring of the entire race control process.
The FIA was quick to react to Bayer's comments, issuing a statement insisting that the affair was still under investigation and that no conclusions had been drawn.
While a number of paddock insiders, including the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, have spoken out in favour of Michael Masi, the pressure from fans and the media is unrelenting.
Meanwhile, the media continues to speculate, and while some believe Masi will keep his job, possibly with the aid of an assistant, others are claiming the restructure will result in a new race director, possibly two people sharing the role.