Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle revealed that he was shocked to hear the newly-revealed Abu Dhabi GP radio, saying it was a disturbing listen.
New footage has surfaced from the highly controversial Abu Dhabi GP that saw the championship being decided illegally. Fans had slammed it then, and now they will have more reason to do so.
In the video. F1 Race Director Michael Masi appeared to have been manipulated by Red Bull’s Jonathan Wheatley. The Australian even used the same phrase Wheatley used in his message towards Mercedes’ Toto Wolff – the now infamous “motor racing”.
Brundle revealed that he was shocked to hear the Abu Dhabi GP radio, saying it was not ideal at all.
“It’s not new news, and also I think you have to understand that it’s not necessarily telling Michael Masi something he didn’t already know,” he told Sky F1.
“Let’s not assume it’s giving Masi information he didn’t already know in terms of what he could and couldn’t do in terms of the lapped pack.
“Of course it’s really uncomfortable, and a lot of people are unhappy: Hamilton fans, Mercedes fans.
“And you don’t even have to be a Lewis Hamilton fan to think that forever he should be an eight-time World Champion, because, for me, the really crucial regulation that wasn’t carried out was that the safety car should have come in at the end of the following lap.”
Crossing a line
“But we also know that unwritten rules and meetings, which shouldn’t supersede anything, were: let’s try not to have a race finish behind the Safety Car,” he continued.
“Hugely unacceptable. I met so many fans that were new to Formula 1 last year particularly, and fans in general, that were hugely upset by what happened.
“It’s not pretty for Formula 1 at all, but I don’t think this audio today changes the really uncomfortable narrative of what happened.”
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