Red Bull team principal Christian Horner disagrees with the decision to remove controversial Formula One race director Michael Masi.
Masi was offered a new role elsewhere in the FIA after being replaced by two men in Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas for the 2022 season.
The Australian official was at the forefront of the controversy surrounding Max Verstappen's title triumph last year.
Verstappen pipped Lewis Hamilton in the final lap of the final race, but he was only able to stage that late recovery after Masi let the cars between the pair – running first and second but separated by a series of lapped rivals – pass a safety car and allow one lap of racing.
Verstappen, on fresher tyres, prevailed, prompting a protest from Hamilton and Mercedes that failed – although Masi has now been removed from his role.
"It's going to be interesting to see how that works," Horner told BBC Breakfast on Monday.
"For me, you want consistency. Having one race director, for me, was preferential, rather than splitting that role.
"We have a new president [Mohammed Ben Sulayem] who has come in and inherited this situation, and he's looked to impose change.
"It's great that Herbie Blash, a very experienced race control member, is coming back into the fray as well, so we will see how it pans out.
"But I thought it was harsh on Michael Masi that he was replaced after a lot of pressure being put on him. Everything is back to zero, new season, new regulations."
Wittich and Freitas will have to deal with a similarly tense, tight title race, though, according to Horner.
"It has been so intense," said Horner. "I think you might get a couple of other drivers come into that fray as well.
"It was epic last year, and if that continues I think there's going to be some fantastic races in the season ahead.
"It's great for the sport. The sport has never had so much coverage and so much following. The following in the sport has gone exponential over the last season, and that's great to see."
Sainz confident of more F1 wins once leaving Ferrari
Carlos Sainz is confident he will continue to fight for Formula 1 wins once he leaves Ferrari for Williams at the end of the season.
The 30-year-old is now in the final stretch of his four-year stint with Ferrari, with whom he has won four races.
Sainz has three more opportunities to add to that number, starting with the Las Vegas GP next week.
While the Spaniard would love to bow out on a high with Ferrari, he does not believe joining Williams will end any hopes of further triumphs.
"Nothing would make me happier than achieving something like that before the end of the year," he said when asked if he's targeting victory across the final three races.
"I'm going to give it my absolute best. If it comes, great, and I'll be for sure celebrating. And if it doesn't, I don't believe it will be my last chance of fighting for wins or podiums in Formula 1.
"I'll carry on working hard to try to get myself in a position – even if it's with Williams – to put myself in a position to win another race.
"That's what I'm hungry for and that's what I believe I can do, and that's what I've proven that I can do in Ferrari. So, yeah, it doesn't end there."
The most recent of Sainz's victories came at the Mexican Grand Prix last month when bouncing back from losing the lead to Max Verstappen.
Ferrari have not won a title in F1 since 2008 and are 36 points behind McLaren heading into the Las Vegas GP, which is followed by races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
However, Sainz's team-mate Charles Leclerc is hopeful of closing that gap by coming out on top in the States, having himself finished second behind Verstappen on this track last year.
"I think on paper it's a track where we should perform well," he told Sky Sports News.
"However, the fact we have improved a lot with tyre management, means on a track where it is so cold, it will be difficult to put the tyres in the right window.
"On paper, it still looks positive. Maybe not as positive as last year but seeing how close everything is, I believe we will have a shot to win it."
Hamilton lauds 'quite incredible' Ferrari form ahead of 2025 move
Lewis Hamilton said watching Ferrari and McLaren overhaul Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship has been "quite incredible" ahead of his move to the Italian team.
Red Bull appeared to be set for another dominant year on track after Max Verstappen won seven of the first 10 races, with team-mate Sergio Perez also securing four podiums.
However, Red Bull endured a mid-season struggle, with Verstappen failing to win in 10 races before his stunning wet-weather display at the Brazilian Grand Prix last time out.
The Dutchman is on the cusp of a fourth world championship after title rival Lando Norris could only manage sixth in Interlagos, leaving him 62 points behind in the standings.
But going into the final three races of the season, Red Bull find themselves third in the constructors' championship, 44 points behind leaders McLaren and 13 adrift of Ferrari.
Before Verstappen's victory in Brazil, Ferrari had claimed back-to-back victories in the United States and Mexico.
Charles Leclerc, Hamilton's team-mate for the Scuderia next season, won in Austin to emerge victorious for the eighth time in the competition.
That triumph was then followed up by a win at the Autrodromo Hermanos Rodriguez by Carlos Sainz, who will make way for Hamilton and join Williams next season.
And Ferrari's recent displays on track have Hamilton excited about the potential of challenging for an eighth world championship next season.
"I'm very interested in my future, of course," said Hamilton. "And so, in that respect, keeping an eye, yeah. Watching everything that happens."
"If you look at somewhere like maybe China already, the Red Bull was like a second ahead.
"And it's been quite incredible to see the McLaren rise and then the Ferrari in the last few races, to see their progress and just trying to keep an eye on everyone's car and what they're changing and what they're adding.
"You know, we all watch the video, all the drivers, we all watch the onboard laps and we're always trying to see where we can gain time.
"And there's some cars that just react differently and better or worse in certain areas.
"And you're trying to figure out how you can find that within either your balance or get the team to develop the car in that direction."
Hamilton could 'take a holiday' after Sao Paulo disappointment
Lewis Hamilton says he "could happily go and take a holiday" instead of finishing the season after a dismal showing at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
He made early exits in both qualifying sessions and started the race at Interlagos from 15th on the grid.
However, unlike Max Verstappen, who impressively won the race having started in 17th, the Brit struggled to mount much of a fight, coming away from the weekend with just one point after finishing in 10th.
His performance was made to look worse as team-mate George Russell had been battling for the lead but narrowly missed out on a podium place as he finished fourth.
Hamilton only has three races left with Mercedes before his move to Ferrari next season, bringing an end to their 12-year partnership.
But he was left frustrated in Brazil, expressing his disappointment with the car.
"We were just slow," Hamilton told Sky Sports F1. "The car was really, really tough. I do really want to say still a big thank you to the guys in the garage. They turned up super early this morning and still did a great job throughout the weekend.
"The team could have won also, so at least one car was behaving a lot better.
"The car is like a plank of wood. It's like no suspension.
"It's bouncing on the tyres everywhere, and you can't get on the power anywhere. It's just the worst ride, I think the worst ride that we've definitely ever had, particularly through corners. It's just so stiff.
"But hopefully we won't have any more bumpy tracks. I think the last three aren't so bumpy. But yeah, I could happily go and take a holiday."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
