F1 News: Former Driver Slams FIA For Sudden Niels Wittich Departure

Saajan Jogia | Nov 14, 2024

Nov 3, 2019; Austin, TX, USA; A view of the FIA Formula One flag before the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Former F1 driver Christian Danner has called out Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, for the sudden departure of race director Niels Wittich on Tuesday. Danner said that Wittich was popular for going by the rulebook and held a reputation of being "completely unbiased."

While the governing body said in its official statement that Wittich had stepped down, the former race director reportedly clarified that he had not resigned. F2 and F3 director Rui Marques was declared as his replacement, who becomes the fifth race director in five years.

Danner took a bold stance on Wittich's ousting, stating that the FIA's decision was "scandalous" in nature. Stating in his Motorsport Magazin column, he said:

"You have an incredible amount of responsibility and not everyone can handle the pressure that is placed on you.

"You have to make decisions in the interests of the sport and safety. The dismissal is dramatic because Formula 1 race directors do not grow on trees. They are plants that have been cultivated over many years.

"For me, there is only one conclusion: putting a faultless race director on the street without any justification is not only scandalous in itself, but it is also completely ill-conceived. Who is supposed to keep replacing him?

"Where are the young race directors who can hold their own against someone like Christian Horner, Toto Wolf or Zak Brown in this job? 

"The pressure is so unbelievably high. Good race directors in motorsport are not automatically made for this specific job, with Eduardo Freitas we saw that not everyone can do it.

"We had someone who could do it and acted flawlessly."

Danner questioned the abrupt decision to act against Wittich, noting the scarcity of others with his level of expertise. The former German driver then blamed FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and called the sacking a significant mistake by the governing body. He added:

"He was completely unbiased. He was a strong race director who did not interpret the rule book, but implemented it by the book.

"I have already spoken about the young talent. Even if there were suitable candidates: who would still take on this job with this stress when you can simply be fired - no matter how good you are.

"And the second big issue is why. 

"Because you can't just fire someone - even in business - because you think they don't suit you anymore. If a committee had decided it, you would need arguments. But there weren't any. 

"My first thought was the letter from the GPDA. But it wasn't about the race director: it was about the president. Maybe he's a bit thin-skinned.

"Diverting attention from problems is no reason to fire the race director. In view of the fact that there is actually no real new talent, I think this is a fatal mistake by the FIA. 

"It is an unnecessary destabilization of the entire system."