F1's New Race Director Breaks Silence After Controversial Niels Wittich Exit

Saajan Jogia | Nov 19, 2024

May 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) lead the field into turn one during the F1 Sprint Race at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Rui Marques, the newly appointed FIA Race Director, has spoken for the first time about stepping into the role for the final three races of the 2024 F1 season. His arrival comes after the FIA announced the departure of Niels Wittich, who served nearly three years in the position. Wittich later clarified that he had not resigned, sparking speculation that his exit was tied to reported conflicts with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

The Portuguese official brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having worked with the Portuguese Automobile and Karting Federation and previously serving as assistant race director in the World Touring Car Cup.

Most recently, Marques oversaw the action as race director at the Macau Grand Prix, where the Formula Regional World Cup faced a chaotic qualifying session with an unprecedented 12 red flags. This challenging event may prove to be valuable preparation for managing the intensity of Formula 1, as it heads into its third-last round in Las Vegas this weekend.

Announcing Marques' appointment, the FIA recently stated:

“The FIA can confirm that Niels Wittich has stepped down from his position as F1 Race Director to pursue new opportunities.

“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 Marques will assume the role of Race Director from the Las Vegas Grand Prix. 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. Most recently, he held the position of Formula 2 and Formula 3 Race Director.”

Speaking to the media in Macau, Marques was asked if it was surprising to be asked by the FIA about taking over the race director role, effective at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. He said:

“It’s not a question of being surprised. Things evolve and the experience we gain brings us these possibilities.

“Things evolve, and the experience we gain opens up these opportunities. I believe all of us grow within the categories we enter thanks to the history and experience we accumulate.

"Macau is another one of those experiences. We bring the experience from Macau to city races, to circuits of this kind. Macau is part of this whole picture.”

Despite his urgent onboarding, he is unsure if he will be in F1 in 2025. He said:

“At the moment, I’m going to race until the end of the year.

"Then we’ll see about the future.”

When asked if he was affected by the fact that three race directors had gone through the same position, he said:

“No, it’s another category for which I’ll be race director."

When he was asked about the penalties handed to Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc for using expletives on camera, he said laughingly:

“I’m not going to go into that. I’m just a race director!”