FIA stunned by sudden departure of F1 race director earlier than finish of 2024 season

The Formulation One race director, Niels Wittich, has stepped down from his publish with quick impact in an sudden choice introduced by the FIA on Tuesday. He can be changed by Rui Marques, who was beforehand the race director for Formulation Two and Formulation Three. Wittich’s departure got here as a shock to F1 and is extremely uncommon in its timing given there are three races of the 2024 season remaining.

Wittich has made no touch upon why he has stepped down in the course of the season, however he’s the newest senior FIA officers to go away. Up to now 12 months the chief govt, Natalie Robyn, moved on after 18 months in publish, as have the sporting director, Steve Nielsen, the technical director, Tim Goss, and the top of the FIA fee for girls, Deborah Mayer, in what has been a interval of turbulence for the FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

He has presided over a string of controversies since he took over in 2021. Most not too long ago, he was publicly upbraided by the Grand Prix Drivers’ Affiliation who maintained they need to be handled like adults after the FIA clamped down on swearing by punishing Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc and particularly demanded Ben Sulayem thoughts his “tone and language”.

Wittich took over from Michael Masi after his extremely controversial selections on the Abu Dhabi GP in 2021. Wittich initially shared the function with Eduardo Freitas and Marques will now be the fourth to tackle the job since Charlie Whiting, who had been within the function since 1997, died in 2019.

F1 will have a good time its seventy fifth anniversary subsequent yr with its first season-launch occasion with the ten groups unveiling their liveries at London’s O₂ Enviornment on 18 February. All 20 drivers can be in attendance alongwith their workforce principals and automobiles in what’s described as an interactive occasion, that includes interviews with key figures from the game, in addition to dwell music. Tickets will go on sale on Friday.

On Tuesday Aston Martin introduced Dan Fallows has stepped down as technical director, however he’ll stay as a part of their operation. His alternative has but to be named. Alpine have confirmed their anticipated swap to utilizing Mercedes engines from 2026 and at which level their mum or dad firm, Renault, will stop its function as an F1 engine producer.