Has Formula One fallen victim to cancel culture?

Although a new year has begun with the hope of fresh optimism ahead of a new era for Formula One, the outcome of the controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix continues to garner debate.

The late Safety Car deployed to assist in the recovery of Nicholas Latifi’s stricken Williams, was called in at the end of the penultimate lap by the now former Race Director Michael Masi – setting up a final lap dash for the world championship between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

Hamilton, who led the race from the start was usurped by Verstappen with a fresh set of tyres on the final lap, after Masi made the contentious call to allow the five lapped cars between the title protagonists to unlap themselves.

Under the regulations, Masi was entitled to make that call and his intentions for not wanting the season and the championship conclude under the Safety Car were just.

Even the protest by Mercedes post-race over the Australian’s use of the rulebook was dismissed.

Though the widespread reaction to the manner in which the titanic 2021 world championship was decided, tarnished the reputation of Formula One and brought the sport into disrepute.

What transpired in the following days and months, was nothing short of one of the most vicious witch-hunts in Formula One – particularly on social media. Calls for Masi to be sacked and for Hamilton to be instated as the 2021 world champion was the bulk of the rhetoric from fans, followers, media and content creators.

Any sort of constructive criticism was unwelcome or non-existent, with a baying for blood more necessary than forging collectively a future in which another situation such as what happened in Abu Dhabi can be prevented.

Even respected pundits such as former world champion Damon Hill were lambasted on Twitter, for even suggesting rational and logical thinking as supposed to the dissonance that was thriving amongst the public.

This essentially felt like Formula One was falling victim to cancel culture; defined as a way of ‘expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure’. Masi being the true victim of being ostracised and cancelled.

(Photo by Mario Renzi – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

Now in February, the FIA who under the new presidency of former world rally driver Mohammed Ben Sulayem, announced their changes to the officiating structures for Formula One ahead of the new season – with the chief change being the dismissal of Masi, who’s position was essentially made untenable by the continuous discontent.

The new rules too, that the FIA have announced come at the cost of the scapegoated Masi, who took over the enormous role vacated by the late Charlie Whiting on the eve of the 2019 Australian Grand Prix.

Having two Race Directors instead of one, in the form of the highly rated Eduardo Freitas and Niels Wittich – assisted by Whiting’s former deputy in Herbie Blash who returns in an advisory role.

Along with the banning direct radio communications between team bosses and race control, which should’ve been done during the 2021 season in which for the first time, the incessant lobbying between the likes of Christian Horner and Toto Wolff to the Race Director could be heard by the public.

A Virtual Race Control Room will also be in place remotely to assist in the decision making in the event of any on-track incident.

Overall, the changes made are the for the better and the desire is to never see Formula One befall this farce again. The ambiguity in interpreting the rules and giving out differing penalties for track limits violations and even racing incidents have been infuriating to say the least.

Though the vitriol in the journey toward this outcome was unnecessary and arguably far more damaging to the sport than Masi’s actions in Abu Dhabi alone.

Officiating in any sport as any fan would know is a contentious subject. Little credit is given when the referees get the decision right, but it’s the equivalent of a natural disaster if a human makes an error.

On that note, it is ironic for seven-time world champion Hamilton during the launch of the Mercedes W13 saying the following in the defence of Latifi, who in the Abu Dhabi aftermath was hurled death threats online because his crash brought out the Safety Car.

“Mental health is a real thing and through these social platforms, people are experiencing abuse and no one deserves that and that should never be tolerated.”

In agreement with Hamilton’s statement and his thoughts on accountability being key for the likes of the FIA and its Race Director, spare a thought perhaps for Masi and the abuse he has received.

And while in utopia, we’d be a lot more constructive and forgiving. Regrettably that doesn’t exist in this highly strung digital age.

Had social media existed in 1989 when Ayrton Senna had the title stripped from him in Japan by an archaic regulation, it’d have been far worse than the reaction to Abu Dhabi. Thankfully we’ll never know what would’ve happened.