Christian Horner Admits Red Bull Pressured Michael Masi During 2021 F1 Finale

Christian Horner relays the pressure and controversial step by Michael Masi in the 2021 F1 season, as he was impressed by Hamilton's response.

There is no doubt that the 2021 F1 season, especially the finale at the Abu Dhabi GP, will remain one of the most controversial moments in the modern history of the sport. Apart from the spygate or the crashgate, not much mind-boggling happened in the sport.

But how the finale panned out in the 2021 F1 season will be talked about forever. At the center of it were Red Bull, Max Verstappen and Horner fighting Mercedes, Hamilton and Toto Wolff. The ultimate villain ended up being the then FIA Race Director Masi.

Throughout the 2021 F1 season, Verstappen and Hamilton were at it; whether it was the incident at Silverstone or Monza or even Saudi Arabia, they were at the flashpoint always. Naturally, for it to come down to the finale, tied on points? Scripted, everyone would say.

Mercedes Came Up with Lawyers Just in Case

"Why didn't I have any Grey hairs before that race? That season had been epic from the very first race in Bahrain, where the two drivers had gone head-to-head," said Horner on the Up to Speed podcast . "We just lost out. Lewis and Max must have rubbed wheels pretty much every Grand Prix.

"It was kind of like a heavyweight bout that we came to this final round that you couldn't have scripted it off the back of Saudi Arabia, where there'd been a brake test and a load of drama there. One week later, we're in Abu Dhabi, and the drivers are tied on points, but Max is ahead on race wins. So, if they do a Senna-Prost at the first corner, Max is the world champion. I'm sure that in Mercedes' mind, they thought they had crashed all year. That's going to be their tactic.

"So, they came lawyered-up or barristered up to the race, ready to take on that action if it were to happen," summed up Horner, who then explained how the race weekend shaped up with Verstappen on pole using an extra set, with Hamilton on the front row.

The role of Sergio Perez was important too, as his 'Minister of Defence' moment certainly helped Verstappen and Red Bull during the race. But the Grand Prix already started with a banger moment, when the Brit took run-off at the Turn 6-7 sequence.

Of course, Red Bull hustled for a penalty, but the FIA brushed it off. Horner recalled how they had a direct line to speak with Masi, which had been in place for a few years, unlike the time under Charlie Whiting, who always spoke with Team Managers or Sporting Directors on any matter related to the race.

"We go into race day, Sergio comes to see me in the morning," continued Horner. "What do you want me to do today? And I said, look, just do whatever you can to help your teammate. He said, 'look, pay me my bonus, I'll do whatever you like', that was the thing with Checo. He was very easy to deal with.

"And I said, look, 'whatever you can do to strategically, if it comes into play'. And sure enough, Lewis got the better start. He got off the line better. Max had a rundown on him down to the first chicane, Lewis went in deep. He outbraked himself, so we're immediately…at that point, you were able to have a direct line to Michael Masi, which I hadn't realized had been going on for the last few years until Barcelona of that year where we'd said that everything should be broadcast at a previous Formula 1 Commission meeting.

"And then I'm hearing Toto on the line to Michael telling him what he shouldn't be doing. Now when Charlie Whiting [former FIA Race Director], I never spoke to Charlie directly in 20 years or whatever it was. And so, now we've got a situation where a team principal is actively putting pressure on the rate on the referee, which is a huge power tool. Well, step this up a gear, Jonathan [Wheatley], warm me up. It then starts ratcheting through the season at Silverstone and whatever else.

"So, we get to that chicane, Lewis has gone in deep, hasn't given the place back. We're on to Michael, 'Michael, come on. This is, he's taken too much of an advantage here. Max was so going to make that pass. He's got to give the place back'. Lewis smartly eased off, let the gap open up in sector three of the track. Of course, you're not going to be able to pass. And it was okay; nothing's going our way.

"In all honesty, that day Lewis had better race pace than us. He was pulling away; Max is gradually dropping back. He couldn't hang on," summed up Horner, who was waiting for a miracle, even after trying all, from a two-stop to Perez's epic Defence. It arrived eventually during the closing stages when Williams' Nicholas Latifi crashed in the final part of the circuit, resulting in the safety car deployment.

This was the moment that turned things around. With only a handful of laps remaining, it looked like they may not get to get a green lap. Horner and Red Bull were urging Masi to get going. Initially, the Australian resisted but then used his discretion to unlap the cars. The Brit said it was all okay what he did until the decision to unlap only a handful of cars.

Horner agrees that allowing only cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap was controversial and not the right move, but he clarified that Red Bull only pressured Masi to get on with the race, not directed him to unlap only a handful of cars. "Nicholas Latifi did his thing, and it didn't look like a massive accident," continued Horner. "There was a crane and an exit point pretty close by.

Red Bull Pressured but Masi Committed the Grave Mistake

"So, it looked like they were going to tidy it pretty quickly. They're back out [after pit stop], but there's the lapped cars between Max and Lewis which would have taken, by the time he'd have got through them, Lewis would have been down those two straights, and it would have been done. So, it was like, 'come on, Michael, there's more than enough time', which there was. 'Let them on that', now, the only controversial thing that he did, he let the cars…originally said no, the cars are not to unlap and then by putting pressure on him, he agreed to unlap the cars between Max and Lewis.

"It was fine to let them all unlap; within his rule book, he can do that. He had the right to do that, hadn't done it previously. And so, if he'd have gone back, I'm sure he would have just said all of them to unlap because that was the only controversial thing. It was no fault of ours. So, at that point, Max is then on a fresh set of softs," summed up Horner.

With no cars in between and Verstappen on fresher tires, the Dutchman was able to make the move on Hamilton, who resisted and almost came back on him. But the Red Bull had enough by the end to see the checkered flag and claim his first F1 drivers' title in an epic finale – which unfortunately would be known for different reasons.

What impressed Horner was the humility shown not just by Hamilton, but also by his father, Anthony, who had the capacity to congratulate Red Bull and Verstappen, despite all that transpired in the last 30 minutes. They were not as composed in the stewards' room, but right at that moment, the Brit was left impressed.

"I think I mentioned it in my book, because well, I was super impressed," recalled Horner. "I mean his world has fallen apart and he had the charisma within him to acknowledge and congratulate Max, to congratulate me, and stand up there on that podium must have been immensely, immensely hard for him in that moment.

"And I have to say his father as well, afterwards, congratulated myself, members of the team. And then all hell let loose in the stewards' office afterwards. But yeah, it was…really I mean you could not have scripted that finish," summed up Horner.