'That was wrong': Red Bull's astonishing 'bullying' claim in F1 furore
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has accused Formula One rivals Mercedes of 'bullying' the FIA into replacing former race director Michael Masi.
The two teams have been locked in a heated rivalry for the last 12 months, which hit a flashpoint when Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the 2021 championship under controversial circumstances ahead of Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton.
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A late-race safety car in the Abu Dhabi season finale allowed Verstappen to pit for fresh tyres, before some unconventional use of the safety car by Masi set up a one-lap sprint for the championship.
However Verstappen had a clear advantage over Hamilton thanks to him being able to pit for new rubber, easily overtaking the British star to win his first world championship.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was outraged after the race, telling Masi his decision making was 'not right' over radio in the moments after the chequered flag.
Masi's decision proved controversial in the wider F1 world, despite widespread sympathy for the Australian race director considering the immense amount of pressure he was facing.
Nevertheless, the FIA investigation resulted in Masi being dumped as race director as the race control system undergoes an overhaul ahead of the 2022 F1 season.
It was an outcome Horner believes was unjust, telling the BBC that despite Masi making mistakes throughout the season, part of the problem was that the underlying structure beneath him had not offered enough support.
"Was it right to fire him based on pressure that was placed on him from a rival team? That for me was wrong," Horner told the BBC.
"That's tantamount to bullying. It's passively aggressive.
"Yes, Michael did make mistakes and it was frustrating, but you have to look at the role that he was in and the tools that he had at his disposal.
"You can't just place the blame on Michael. It's unfair to do that."
Red Bull accusation fuels fiery Formula One rivalry
Members of both teams have accused the other of attempting to influence Masi over the course of last season and even in the wake of the season ending.
Both Horner and Red Bull's sporting director Jonathan Wheatley spoke to Masi over the radio as the safety car lead the field through the final few laps, urging him to ensure there would be at least one lap run under racing conditions.
The duo have been criticised for the pressure they placed on Masi, but Horner insisted he wasn't the first to contact the erstwhile race director.
"Who was the first to call Michael? It wasn't me. I'm only responding to the pressure being applied on him that I can hear in my ear from a rival team," Horner insisted.
"It's my job as the principal of the team that I represent to defend it.
"I think it was probably less than the pressure that our rivals were pushing on to not have a safety car. Or to back-track a lap. Or not to have a virtual safety car, or for the virtual safety car to go into a full safety car."
Hamilton has been joined at Mercedes by rising British star George Russell and Horner has predicted the young driver's arrival will provide rival team boss Toto Wolff with a problem.
"Lewis is going to be massively motivated this season," added Horner.
"But he's going to have more competition internally because he's got a hungry competitive young team-mate who is going to be snapping at his ankles.
"Life is not going to be getting easier for him, that's for sure.
"George is going to be a big factor this year. He has been blisteringly quick in all the junior categories, he's one of the standout talents and dealing with his drivers will give Toto a headache this year."
With AAP
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