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The FIA has indicated how it would fulfill three mandatory senior official roles in the Australian Grand Prix opening of the Formula 1 season, following the death of Charlie Whiting.
The F1 sports regulations require the FIA to designate a race director and a permanent starter for each grand prize, both of whom must be present at the start of the event, as well as a safety representative.
While Whiting was to occupy the three positions prior to his departure on the eve of the Grand Prix weekend, the governing body had to reorganize his organization.
He named Michael Masi, one of two badistant race directors, to the three positions.
Masi is a former Supercars executive who worked as a member of Parliament for Whiting at several grand awards last year.
In addition to continuing this arrangement for 2019, alongside his colleague Scot Elkins, Masi has accepted the role of Director of Formula 2 and Formula 3 racing for this season.
Masi's inauguration as race director put him in charge of the officials and the management of the GP of Australia.
This includes the decision to suspend one of the sessions, to check the use of the safety car and to report incidents to the stewards.
As a permanent starter, he will be responsible for controlling the lights that signal the start of the grand prize.
His responsibilities as a safety representative include the final word on all safety issues, ranging from changing the speed limit at the pits to ensuring the safety rules of cars, drivers and circuits.
Whiting would have completed other elements of this role, including thorough checks of the circuit before the weekend, before his death.
Mixing Masi as the main race director for the weekend means that his responsibilities as badistant race director will have to be badumed, but the way this will be done has not been communicated by the FIA.
These tasks include the responsibility of controlling the race on the grid, the formation lap, the start and the opening laps – including the call for red flags and safety cars during this period – during that the director of the race starts the grand prize.
Haas team director Gunther Steiner urged teams to ensure that they help the FIA as much as possible with its interim measures.
He added that they had to "cause as few problems as possible".
"We are here to make this possible for people who need to intervene because these are big shoes that need to be filled," Steiner said.
"In the end, we will find a solution, there will be meetings to make sure nothing falls between the cracks."
"We will support all that the FIA will put in place for this weekend.
"Whatever the solution, we will support it and try to make the most of it.
"For this weekend, our goal is: if they need our help, we are here to help you."
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