George Russell says that Lewis Hamilton had an eighth world title taken away from him by the errors made by officials at the final race of last year.
At the launch of their new car, Hamilton's new Mercedes team-mate said that he really feels for Lewis because of the controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Russell said that he had that race under control.
He only had to bring it home and he would have been an eight-time champion.
Hamilton was on course for a fourth win in a row and the title until a late-race safety car.
The race director started the race in a way that did not comply with the rules, and Hamilton was passed by Verstappen, who won the title for Red Bull.
Masi was removed as race director of F1 after an inquiry into Abu Dhabi.
Russell, who is also a director of the Grand Prix Drivers Association, said: "Mistakes happen when the heat of the moment is on and people's emotions are high." With the changes the FIA have made, that will not happen again.
There is always a lot of pressure on every individual in sport, whether it be the athlete, the coach, the manager, the engineer, the referee or the race director.
The changes have been made because of what happened in Abu Dhabi.
On Friday, Hamilton said that he lost a bit of faith in the system but that he wouldn't let Abu Dhabi define his career.
Two new people will alternate as race director, and they will be assisted by a more robust support structure, including a video assistant referee, as part of the changes announced by the FIA.
Russell said that the FIA were very proactive after Abu Dhabi.
I think the VAR solution is great and it makes sense to have further assistance, people analyse live and more input to get a quicker view and decision to be made.
The way drivers are exploiting the rule book is understandable, and the way the team and driver look for ways to get the upper hand is also understandable.
It will take some time to refine but it is definitely a step in the right direction. The more things we can do, the more they will be beneficial.
Russell is going into his first season in a top team and he said he had no doubts that Hamilton would be prepared for the new season despite his difficult winter.
Lewis is a fighter and a racer and his main priority is to be the best version of himself when he hits the track in the first race.
He knows what it takes to be a world champion and how to prepare himself for the first race.
It always amazed me how successful and talented someone is. That is motivating for me to reach the heights he has achieved.
I can learn from him and see how he goes about his business. I think we can push the team forward and have a good relationship with each other.
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