Formula 1: FIA aware of new Michael Masi title-decider radio messages

The FIA says it knows about radio messages from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that have raised fresh questions about last year's title-decider.

The messages seem to be further evidence of race director Michael Masi reacting to Red Bull's suggestions as to how to end a safety-car period.

And Masi echoes Red Bull's language in a response he gives to Mercedes.

A spokesman for Formula 1's governing body said: «We are aware of this and it is part of the investigation.»

In the radio messages, Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley is heard advising Masi on how to deal with lapped cars that are on track between the leaders as he attempts to organise a restart before the laps run out.

At the time, Red Bull's Max Verstappen was on new tyres behind Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton on old rubber, which meant that if the race was resumed Verstappen would have a huge advantage and would likely win the race and championship.

Wheatley says: «Those lapped cars; you don't need to let them go right the way around and catch up with the back of the pack. You only need to let them go, and then we've got a motor race on our hands.»

Masi replies: «Understood.»

After the race, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff gets on the radio to tell Masi that what he has done is «not right».

Masi replies: «Toto, it's called a motor race, OK?»

The radio transmissions are not new — they were on a video released by Formula 1 on 16 December, four days after the race — but they appear to have missed general circulation in the storm that followed.

Their emergence into the public arena — they were trending on Twitter on Wednesday with the hashtag #F1xed — has come days before the FIA is due to reveal the outcome of its inquiry into Abu Dhabi to a meeting of the F1 Commission