F1 Race Director Leaves Role With Immediate Effect - Replacement Announced

Niels Wittich has resigned as Formula 1’s race director effective immediately, and Rui Marques has been appointed as his successor ahead of the season’s final three races.

Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team driver Lewis Hamilton (44) of Team Great Britain drives during the Sprint Race in the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Niels Wittich, the race director for Formula 1, has stepped down from his position with immediate effect.

Wittich's sudden departure, coming just before the conclusion of the season with only three races remaining, has taken the racing community by surprise. He is leaving the role to pursue new opportunities, according to the FIA.

The FIA has swiftly moved to appoint Rui Marques as Wittich's successor, effective from the imminent race in Las Vegas. Marques is no stranger to this role, having previously served as the race director for Formula 2 and Formula 3. He also has experience in roles such as a track marshal, scrutineer, national and international steward, as well as deputy race director across various championships. An FIA spokesperson has commented to BBC Sport:

"Niels has fulfilled his numerous responsibilities as race director with professionalism and dedication. We thank him for his commitment and we wish him the best for the future.

"Rui brings a wealth of experience having previously served as track marshal, scrutineer, national and international steward, deputy race director and race director in various championships."

Wittich initially joined F1 as one of the race directors following the controversial removal of Michael Masi after the contested 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This contentious decision influenced the championship outcome between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen and triggered an overhaul in the F1 officiating structure, which led to Wittich's appointment. Despite the expectation for Wittich to alternate roles with Eduardo Freitas, the need for consistent regulation saw him step into the role full-time.

Wittich's resignation follows a series of high-profile exits from the FIA, joining individuals such as Steve Nielsen and Tim Goss. The clarity regarding whether these recent internal changes are linked to persistent controversies in race direction, some of which surfaced during events like the US Grand Prix involving drivers like Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, continues to be speculation at this stage.

Meanwhile, under the presidency of Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA has faced its share of challenges. Ben Sulayem’s leadership has been marked by controversies ranging from interactions with drivers to administrative handling. A recent case showing this was a letter from the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, urging Ben Sulayem to use more respectful language when engaging with drivers. The drivers commented in an open letter:

"As is the case with every sport, competitors must abide by the referee’s decision, whether they like it or not, indeed whether they agree with it or not. That is how sport works. The Drivers (our members) are no different, and fully understand that.

"Our members are professional drivers, racing in Formula 1, the pinnacle of international motorsport. They are the gladiators and every racing weekend they put on a great show for the fans.

"With regards to swearing, there is a difference between swearing intended to insult others and more casual swearing, such as you might use to describe bad weather, or indeed an inanimate object such as a Formula 1 car, or a driving situation.

"We urge the FIA President to also consider his own tone and language when talking to our member drivers, or indeed about them, whether in a public forum or otherwise. Further, our members are adults, they do not need to be given instructions via the media, about matters as trivial as the wearing of jewellery and underpants.

"The GPDA has, on countless occasions, expressed its view that Driver monetary fines are not appropriate for our Sport. For the past 3 years, we have called upon the FIA President to share the details and strategy regarding how the FIA's financial fines are allocated and where the funds are spent. We have also relayed our concerns about the negative image financial fines bring to the Sport. We once again request that the FIA President provides financial transparency and direct, open dialogue with us. All stakeholders (FIA, F1, the Teams and the GPDA) should jointly determine how and where the money is spent for the benefit of our Sport.

"The GPDA wishes to collaborate in a constructive way with all the stakeholders, including the FIA President, in order to promote our great Sport for the benefit of everyone who works in it, pays for it, watches it, and indeed loves it. We are playing our part."