FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem has not closed the door on Michael Masi

The FIA’s president has said former race director Michael Masi could make a return to the control tower after confirming the door is not closed for the Australian.

Masi lost his job having been the architect of the last-lap drama that sparked controversy in the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Having led for almost the entirety of the season’s finale, Lewis Hamilton had looked on course for an eighth World Championship – until Masi’s Safety Car call all but handed the title to Max Verstappen.

Hamilton and Mercedes were furious and as a result of his decision, Masi was removed from his position as race director and replaced by Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas.

But now it seems that may not be a permanent removal, with FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem saying they were “open to everything” when asked about Masi’s future.

“I didn’t get rid of Michael,” Ben Sulayem told the Mail. “He had a personal overload (of work)— safety delegate as well as race director. He made a mistake. It’s not as if we said it’s the end of Masi with the FIA.

“I don’t do that sort of thing. Even people who didn’t vote for me I embrace. We don’t think of individuals. We think of the operation itself.

“I don’t know Michael very well. The decision (to sack him as race director) was made by the World Council. It was human error on Michael’s part.

“I have no personal issue (with him). I don’t hate anyone. Michael is there and we might use him. I didn’t say we were getting rid of him. I said we might use him. He may be in a good place to use. We are open to everything.”

Masi is believed to be back in his home country of Australia and the FIA president said they may look to add a third race director to their roster.

“Our race structure was wrong organisationally,” he said. “And though we have brought in two new race directors, I wouldn’t say we have got it all right yet. We need to clean the stables.

“It’s not like going to a…