“There Were Death Threats to His Family” – Christian Horner Explains Aftermath of Verstappen-Hamilton Abu Dhabi Controversy

Michael Masi was the center of attention last year for his controversial call in the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP. His decision arguably helped Max Verstappen secure his first championship.

The Australian was sacked from his position before the start of the current season. Lewis Hamilton’s record 8th World Championship dreams disappeared right in front of his eyes as the Red Bull driver overtook him in the final lap. However, Michael Masi found an ally in Christian Horner.

Horner revealed how he contacted Michael after the former-race director received unfair treatment from fans. Michael Masi was at the receiving end of angry fans’ backlash and abuse.

On Beyond the Grid podcast, when asked if he contacted Masi after the fiasco, Horner replied, “Yes, on a couple of occasions.” He further added, “I felt that it wasn’t fair, the way he had been treated, because I think that he’d done the best that he could following the principles that have been told.”

The Red Bull boss also felt the backlash that Masi faced after the race was not at all acceptable. He sympathized with the Australian stating, “There was a huge amount of abuse sent out to him, there was death threats to his family. No individual deserves to go through what he did.”

READ MORE: Max Verstappen’s Father Takes a Subtle Dig at Red Bull Racing

Fast forward 9 months and Max Verstappen can clinch his second world title next week. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton has struggled in his Mercedes and is yet to record a win this year.

In a repeat of the Abu Dhabi GP, Christian Horner says the Italian GP should have been red-flagged

Red Bull Christian Horner has claimed the Italian GP should have been red-flagged. Daniel Ricciardo‘s stationary McLaren forced the race to end under a safety car. The race brought back flashbacks from Abu Dhabi GP where the safety car was called in at the very last moment, in a controversial manner.

The Red Bull boss said, “I think there’s always lessons to learn, But it goes against the principles of what we discussed, that it’s not good to finish races under safety cars.”

Horner also mentioned that the crowd was robbed of a potentially thrilling end to the race. Furthermore, he states that FIA should have taken action on time.

The Brit said, “If they would have known they couldn’t get it going, they should have red-flagged it and restarted. But obviously that didn’t happen.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Christian Horner Speaks Up on Possible Audi-Porsche 2026 F1 Partnership – “Would Be Very Easy…”

One man’s joy is another’s sorrow. Max Verstappen celebrated winning his maiden World Championship in 2021, whereas Lewis Hamilton was distraught about being robbed of his eighth. Do you think Michael Masi made the right call?