CHRISTIAN HORNER REVEALS NEW DETAILS OF CONTROVERSIAL 2021 ABU DHABI GP

Christian Horner admits he deliberately leaned on race director Michael Masi to restart the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP after Nicholas Latifi's late crash. In his new memoir Drive, the Red Bull boss reveals he pushed Masi on the radio — "Come on, Michael, we need to get this race going; why aren't we getting these lapped cars out the way?" — after his heart sank seeing five backmarkers stacked between Verstappen's fresh softs and Hamilton's worn rubber.

Masi cleared only those five cars and green-flagged the final lap, handing Verstappen the title. Horner says he only learned during that broadcast season that Toto Wolff had been lobbying Masi directly, prompting him to jump on the line himself. "It wasn't our fault," Horner insists. Masi's call was within the rulebook, just never done before.

The FIA replaced Masi for 2022. Three years on, the wound still hasn't closed — and now we know Red Bull was working the ref right alongside Mercedes.