Following the dispute that allowed Max Verstappen to win the Formula One world championship last year, the former race director Michael Masi disclosed that he had received online death threats.
At the conclusion of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December, the Australian modified the safety car restart protocol, giving the victory to Max Verstappen of Red Bull and depriving Lewis Hamilton of a record-breaking ninth championship.
“There were some dark days,” Masi told News Corp on Sunday. “And absolutely, I felt like I was the most hated man in the world. I got death threats. People saying, they were going to come after me and my family.”
Verstappen was able to pass the defending champion on the final lap and win the race thanks to Masi’s decision to remove the safety car and let lapped vehicles between him and Lewis Hamilton to pass.
A further investigation of the March race in Abu Dhabi concluded that Masi had made a “human error” but had behaved “in good faith.”
Masi, who quit the FIA’s governing board in March, received a barrage of criticism on social media.
“They were shocking,” Masi said of messages he received on Facebook. “Racist, abusive, vile, they called me every name under 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 abuse.”
The 44-year-old has since returned to
The 44-year-old has now travelled back to Australia and chose not to seek medical attention after the event.
“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 had no desire to talk to them. I just wanted to be alone, which was very challenging.
“The whole experience has made me a much stronger person,” he added.
