Michael Masi, the FIA race director behind the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix F1 season finale, has taken on a new job. Starting next year, the Australian has been appointed as event director for the NextGen NZ Championship.

Masi inherited the role of race director in 2019 after Charlie Whiting’s passing and held the position until after the 2021 F1 season. At the climax of the title fight between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, his incorrect application of the safety car restart procedure directly influenced the outcome of the race and the World Championship.

The controversial decision is still a talking point in F1 four years later, and a recent interview given by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff to The Telegraph made it clear that neither the Silver Arrows’ boss nor Hamilton was able to move past the incident.

“I have not experienced the loss of control of a situation since I was a child,” Wolff confessed. “There is one lunatic who can basically destroy the record of the greatest champion of all time.”

Wolff’s wife, Susie, who is the director of F1 Academy, added: “It was disbelief. That one person’s decision to interpret the rules in a way that they had never been interpreted before could have caused such an outcome. It sat so heavily with me, for a long time afterwards.”

Following the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP controversy, Masi was removed from his position as race director and offered a different role within the FIA. However, he declined, instead returning to his native continent to serve as the independent Chairman of the Supercars Commission.

Now, Masi has a new role. The 47-year-old will serve as the event director for the NextGen NZ Championship, overseeing the team of MotorSport New Zealand officials, delivering each round of the series, and working more broadly to observe and update the sport’s rules, regulations, and operational processes.

“New Zealand has an abundantly rich and proud heritage in the sport,” Masi said. “I’m very much looking forward to working in partnership with, and supporting MotorSport New Zealand, Toyota New Zealand, and the NextGen NZ Championship to continue building upon and developing the continual improvement of the sport for all participants and stakeholders.”

The championship’s CEO, Josie Spillane, was delighted with the addition. She said: “Michael is an incredible addition to our summer and matches perfectly with our ambition to provide a world-class development championship for our competitors and New Zealand Motorsport.

“The process working with MotorSport New Zealand and Toyota to facilitate his addition as Event Director showcases what happens when the key stakeholders collaborate to drive the sport forward positively.”