Motorsports
The reality behind the ‘new’ Abu Dhabi audio documentary
.jpg?ssl=1 "The reality behind the ‘new’ Abu Dhabi audio documentary")
An audio documentary sparked a storm of reactions as they judged the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP title, presented as ‘new’ and giving the impression that FIA Race Director Michael Massey is taking on Red Bull Racing assignments.
The audio clip shows Massey speaking to RBR Race Director Jonathan Whitley with five laps to go when the safety car for Williams’ Nicholas Latifi accident was out.
Massey famously unlawfully decided to only pass the safety car on those drivers who mediated between then-champion Lewis Hamilton and Max Ferstappen – who had fallen behind under the safety car after a pit stop – as well as exiting the safety car a lap early off the track.
This gave Ferstappen a chance to put in a final lap and, on his fresh soft tyres, easily get past Lewis Hamilton, who at the time had badly worn hard rubber to win the championship.
In the audio documentary, which has been circulating around the internet for several hours and is presented as new, Whitley can be heard saying to Macy: “You don’t want to be frustrated when you can’t get the pitch right, so invest in a good capo. All you have to do is release them, and then we’ll have a fight on our hands.
Massey then responds with the word “understood”, and this word provokes the most reactions. However, it should be noted that this word does not necessarily mean accepting a mandate from Masi. It’s a word he often uses to acknowledge that he has heard a message, without necessarily implying that he will accept or apply it.
“More complicated is the fact that Massey used similar words.”this is called a fight, we fight” reacted to Toto Wolf, CEO of Mercedes F1, when the Austrian told him what happened “it is not right”.
This conversation between Massey and Whitley was not broadcast live at the time, but was present from the start in the documents the FIA was examining in its investigation into the events and decisions that judged the title of 2021 champion was published in a review Video captured posted by F1 itself four days after the Abu Dhabi GP.
Former F1 driver and British TV commentator Martin Bradl said: “This is not new news and we must understand that nothing has been said to Masi that he did not already know. Let’s not assume that [το μήνυμα του Ουίτλι] gave Massi information he didn’t yet know about what he could and couldn’t do about the cars that were on the road [και βρίσκονταν εκείνες τις στιγμές πίσω από το όχημα ασφαλείας].
The decisive rule for me that wasn’t implemented was that the safety car had to come into the pits on the next lap. But there is this unwritten rule that we have to do everything we can not to finish a race behind the safety car. It’s totally unacceptable. “Today’s audio doesn’t change the circumstantial narrative of everything that happened.” closed.
Meanwhile, four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has backed Massi, saying it is the rules and regulations of the sport that need to be changed, not the position of GP race director.
“It’s not easy to be in the referee’s position or in Michael’s position. But I think he did a great job.” said the German. “I don’t know what the future holds for him but I hope he stays with us. There shouldn’t be that much controversy over the last fight. In general, he did very well.”
The Aston Martin F1 driver concluded: “The key is to focus more on the sport than the show. I, who was in the race, was wondering why we didn’t restart sooner, but obviously there is a log. “In order to move forward, there must be clarity about what should happen in such situations and there must be no further questions.”
Jessica Martinez is an author at Sportish, a publication dedicated to sports news and analysis. She covers various topics related to sports and provides insightful commentary on the latest developments in the world of sports.
After several significant personnel changes in the team, Max Verstappen has finally learned who he will be working with in the Red Bull pits for the new season.
At the end of last year, it became known that three key members of the four-time world champion’s headquarters had left. According to De Telegraaf, Jeff Ayton replaced Verstappen’s vehicle control engineer Michael Manning, who left the team after the 2025 season. He has previously worked with other Red Bull drivers and worked temporarily with Verstappen in Manning’s absence last year.
Verstappen’s former engine mechanic David Mart has moved to Audi and his replacement at Red Bull has not yet been determined. Performance engineer Tom Hart is also leaving the team; He will join Williams but will continue to work with the Milton Keynes-based team for a while.
Changes also occurred among mechanics. After Matt Culler moved to the position of Audi’s chief mechanic, Verstappen was replaced as his first mechanic by his twin brother John Culler. He is well known to Max, who has previously held a similar position on the other side of the Red Bull pits, working alongside Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda.
Despite rumors about the winter break, Gianpiero Lambiase will remain Verstappen’s race engineer for another season.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
Photos of the allegedly leaked Ferrari F1 team jerseys for the 2026 season have appeared on the internet.
The published photos show a red T-shirt with white inserts.
Ferrari will officially announce its color on January 23. At the same time, some sources reported that the design of the 2026 car should be “pleasantly surprising”.
Given that Ferrari and other teams have used darker shades of their primary colors (red in the Scuderia’s case) in recent years, the introduction of red and white team uniforms could signal a move towards a lighter color scheme.
The same idea is put forward in a video published on the Scuderia’s official account.
2026 FERRARI PRODUCTS? 👀 pic.twitter.com/ClhblugnUh
— La Gazzetta Ferrari (@GazzettaFerrari) January 18, 2026
It’s just a matter of time⏱️ pic.twitter.com/SyykHCiHcw
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) January 18, 2026
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
Former Formula 1 champion Damon Hill has warned fans that the winner of the 2026 season could be a real surprise.
The current large-scale changes to the regulations are among the biggest in the history of the sport. They are expected to change the balance of power in the starting grid for a long time.
Hill is confident that the pundits have no idea who will start the new season with the best cars because the cars will be completely different, even in terms of handling.
Particular attention of the expert is drawn to Aston Martin, which was able to make a leap from the middle of the table after signing Adrian Newey from Red Bull.
Hill noted the following about Lando Norris’ chances of defending his title:
“All bets are off for this year. We don’t know who will be in uniform. You can’t automatically assume that pilots who performed well under previous regulations can now do it again.”
The cars are completely different. “50% of engine power is now provided by the electric battery, and this affects the way cars are controlled, their aerodynamics and their design.”
Hill added that the season could be a complete surprise:
“Yes, you can [ожидать смену эпохи в Ф1 в этом году]. We may see a complete surprise. It’s like Jenson Button beating Brown; Everyone was surprised because they understood the rules better.
“And the master of understanding the rules is Adrian Newey, who went to Aston Martin. He left Red Bull and Max Verstappen, Christian Horner also left that team. But he went to Aston Martin.”
“So we’re waiting for him to wave his magic wand over Aston Martin. And it could happen.”
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
-
Ligue 13 years agoRenato Sanchez signed in Paris for five years
-
Europa League4 years agoIn transfer alert at Olympiakos for additions and concessions
-
Europa League4 years agoFenerbahce – Eintracht 1: 1: The Germans took 1st place in the Olympiacos group
-
Europa League4 years agoWithout Nainggolan and Samata, the 11th team from Antwerp
-
Europa League4 years agoEuropa League
-
Europa League4 years agoAtalanta announced the acquisition of Boga
-
Europa League4 years agoFears that Zapata will be out for 4 months
-
Premier League4 years agoExcept for the rest of January, Sean was injured