Wolff offers fresh Masi perspective into controversial 2021 decision

Toto Wolff has shed further perspective on Michael Masi and the impact the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix had on himself and Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton was set to win a record-breaking eighth drivers' championship after a season-long battle with Max Verstappen, but Masi went against long-established safety car restart procedures as race director, setting up a final lap showdown between the two drivers.

Custom would have had the 58-lap race restart on the tour after lapped cars had been waved through, in this case, at the end of lap 58, and with no overtaking allowed, leader Hamilton would have won the race and title.

Masi allowed the restart at the end of lap 57, and then only ordered the lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to un-lap themselves instead of every driver.

He was subsequently removed from post by the FIA after an internal investigation, as Mercedes boss Wolff detailed his emotions in the aftermath.

"I felt angry, not depressed or sad, just angry that an individual was able to take away an eighth championship from the best driver in the world by a bad decision," Wolff told the High Performance podcast. 

"But you have to put it into context, there are dictators around the world and politicians that cause so much pain that it is in no way comparable to Lewis losing the eighth title or for us as a team.

"But the anger of that moment of a person, but even Lewis learned to manage his emotions very strongly and after a few days was in an okay space.

"It still goes with us because of the unfairness that happened on this particular day."

Wolff tried to help Masi

Wolff also revealed how he tried to help guide Masi, who was into his third season as race director, having assumed the role after the sudden death of Charlie Whiting on the eve of the 2019 season.

"I really tried to speak with Michael and guide him throughout the year," Wolff added.

"I tried to say: 'Listen, I've been in the sport a long time, listen to the drivers, don't be stubborn in your decision-making.'

"I tried that for the good of the sport and obviously for us as a team as to not be vulnerable to situations that could be totally detrimental, so in that sense, what happened is inexcusable. 

"Now, you could say the empathy should make me realise how he feels, I realise how he feels and I know that is not good, but he could have thought about it all year and there were people, not only me, trying to support him in the right way.

"Sometimes you just have to admit that someone is just doing his own thing or making his own decisions, so I don't care about it anymore.

"I mainly think about it because Lewis deserved to be the greatest of all-time with eight world championship titles."