Michael Masi has built a career at the heart of international motorsport, progressing from grassroots race meetings in Australia to one of the most demanding positions in Formula One. Best known for serving as FIA Formula One Race Director between 2019 and 2021, Masi was responsible for managing every aspect of a Grand Prix weekend, ensuring races were conducted safely and in accordance with FIA sporting and technical regulations. Although his tenure ended amid the controversy surrounding the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, his career spans far more than a single event, encompassing senior officiating roles across multiple international championships.
Born in Sydney, Australia, on 8 June 1978, Masi is of Italian heritage and grew up in the suburbs of Fairfield and Canada Bay. He attended Patrician Brothers’ College before initially studying marketing at TAFE, though his passion for motorsport soon led him away from a traditional career path and into race administration.
| Born | Michael Fausto Masi 8 June 1978 Sydney, Australia |
|---|---|
| Years active | 2019–2022 |
| Known for | FIA race director |
| Predecessor | Charlie Whiting |
| Successor | Niels Wittich, Eduardo Freitas |
Early Career
Masi’s introduction to motorsport came while he was still at school, volunteering with Super Touring teams to gain practical experience at race meetings. His enthusiasm and organisational skills quickly earned him greater responsibilities, leading to officiating roles across Australian motorsport.
Over the following years, he established himself as an experienced race official, serving as Deputy Race Director in the Supercars Championship while also working at Rally Australia. His reputation for managing major events eventually brought him to the attention of the FIA.
In 2018, Masi joined the FIA as Deputy Race Director for both the FIA Formula 2 Championship and FIA Formula 3 Championship. During the same season, he was also appointed deputy to long-serving Formula One Race Director Charlie Whiting, alternating Grand Prix weekends with Scot Elkins, who would later become Race Director for both Formula E and the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM).
Formula One
Following the sudden death of Charlie Whiting ahead of the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, Masi unexpectedly stepped into the role of FIA Formula One Race Director. The appointment placed him in one of the sport’s most high-profile positions, with responsibility for overseeing race operations, directing race control, interpreting regulations and ensuring that every Formula One event complied with FIA sporting and safety requirements.
Throughout his tenure, Masi managed Formula One during one of its most demanding periods, including the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the return to racing under strict operational protocols. However, several high-profile decisions attracted significant scrutiny from teams, drivers and the media.
During qualifying for the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix, criticism followed after cars were released while a recovery crane remained on the circuit. In 2021, his handling of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix restart procedures prompted further debate, while the rain-affected 2021 Belgian Grand Prix generated controversy after qualifying took place in difficult conditions and the race itself was run behind the Safety Car for three laps, allowing half points to be awarded.
Later that season, Masi was criticised during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix for negotiating race restart procedures directly with teams during an exceptionally complex event.
His most controversial moment came at the season-ending 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. During a late Safety Car period, Masi authorised only selected lapped cars to overtake before restarting the race on the final lap. The decision proved decisive in determining the outcome of both the race and the World Drivers’ Championship, immediately becoming one of the most debated moments in Formula One history.
FIA Investigation
Following the conclusion of the 2021 season, the FIA launched a detailed investigation into the events of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. On 17 February 2022, it announced that Masi would no longer serve as Formula One Race Director, with Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas appointed to share the role under a revised race control structure.
An alternative position within the FIA was offered to Masi as Independent Chair of the Supercar Commission, a role he accepted later in 2022.
On 19 March 2022, the FIA published its official report into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The investigation confirmed that the restart procedure had not been conducted in accordance with Article 48.12 of the Formula One Sporting Regulations. Specifically, the report concluded that not all lapped cars had been permitted to overtake, the Safety Car had not completed the additional mandatory lap before returning to the pit lane, and that these procedural errors were the result of “human error.”
The investigation also prompted significant structural changes within Formula One race control, with the FIA introducing new systems and operational procedures designed to improve decision-making and restore confidence in race management.
Post-Formula One
Following the FIA investigation, Masi returned to Australia in July 2022 to spend more time with his family after several years of intensive international travel. Later that year, he was appointed Independent Chairman of Australia’s Supercars Commission, overseeing governance and sporting matters before stepping down from the position in September 2025.
He subsequently joined the Board of Directors of Karting Australia, continuing his involvement in motorsport administration and driver development at grassroots level.
Masi has also spoken publicly about the personal impact of the events surrounding the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, revealing that sustained abuse, death threats and the pressures associated with the controversy led him to seek professional support for his mental health.
During the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, Masi sought an opportunity to speak with Lewis Hamilton to explain his decisions from Abu Dhabi, although Hamilton declined the meeting, saying there was “nothing to say.”
In December 2025, Masi returned to an operational role in international motorsport when he was appointed Event Director of the Repco NextGen NZ Championship, including the Formula Regional Oceania Trophy.
Today, Michael Masi remains a controversial figure in modern motorsport and F1 history. While his time as Formula One Race Director is often viewed through the lens of one of the sport’s most contentious championship finales, his broader career reflects decades of experience in race management, governance and officiating across multiple levels of international motorsport.
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