The sudden departure of Components 1’s race director Niels Wittich has caught all the paddock without warning and is leaving the beleaguered governing physique with extra questions than solutions, some extra uncomfortable than others.
Was Wittich pushed or did he bounce?
The FIA announced on Tuesday that Wittich was “stepping down” after less than three seasons as F1’s race director, two of which have been by himself after initially splitting duties with FIA WEC race director Eduardo Freitas. And whereas thanking the 52-year-old German for his providers, the phrase that Wittich left to “pursue different pursuits” is the oldest trick within the guide to counsel somebody has been dismissed somewhat than stepped again voluntarily. And certainly it quickly emerged that the choice didn’t come from Wittich, who appeared to verify to the German outlet Motorsport Magazin that he was solely instructed hours earlier than the FIA assertion that his providers have been not required.
Funnily sufficient, Wittich just isn’t even the primary FIA race director to be mentioned to “pursue different pursuits”, with Roger Lane-Nott’s departure in 1996 described in the identical phrases. After a troublesome single season as F1’s race director, former submarine commander Lane-Nott was changed by FIA president Max Mosley for the a lot missed Charlie Whiting.
Why did Wittich go now?
Essentially the most puzzling side of Wittich’s substitute by F2 and F3 director Rui Marques is the timing, with three races left to run within the 2024 marketing campaign and one week earlier than F1 travels to Las Vegas. Whereas there had been rumours about FIA president Mohamed Ben Sulayem taking a look at making a change, the shock timing of the announcement has appeared to have taken many individuals within the paddock without warning, not least folks inside the FIA itself.
Race management had caught flack on the Brazilian Grand Prix, with Pink Bull sad with the timing of a purple flag in qualifying that it felt value Max Verstappen, and with questions raised over the late digital security automobile name within the dash race for a stricken Nico Hulkenberg. However usually, Wittich has been nicely regarded and uncontroversial, and acknowledged by many as doing a really troublesome job comparatively nicely beneath difficult circumstances, returning some stability to the function after Michael Masi’s fraught spell on the helm.
There has additionally been unease over the consistency of judging incidents and handing out penalties, however it should be identified that this doesn’t fall beneath race management, which may solely refer incidents to the stewards for them to guage additional.
Niels Wittich, FIA
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Photographs
Wittich’s substitute will now be dropped into the hotseat forward of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which is operationally one of the crucial difficult circuits to handle. It’s removed from a really perfect state of affairs for somebody new to the function, with controlling an F1 race an enormous step up from different FIA sequence.
The race across the famed Las Vegas Strip ultimately made a profitable debut final 12 months, however not earlier than a number of teething points in observe, essentially the most spectacular being Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz struggling a heavy crash after dislodging a water valve cowl at full pace.
The long-lasting boulevard itself can be re-opened to the general public earlier than and after the on-track motion, including to the complexity of the occasion.
Who’s Wittich’s substitute?
Wittich’s substitute Rui Marques is one other nicely regarded determine inside the FIA, who joined the governing physique in 2014. Following a spell because the deputy race director within the FIA’s World Touring Automotive Cup, the Portuguese moved throughout to single-seaters and have become the race director for F2 and F3 in 2022. Marques additionally has earlier expertise as a world steward and circuit inspector, giving him a strong all-round perspective of all of the transferring elements concerned in FIA sanctioned racing. In F2 and F3, Marques can be changed till the tip of the 12 months by his Singaporean deputy Jannette Tan.
What does this say in regards to the FIA?
Regardless of the ulterior motives behind Wittich’s elimination, his shock exit comes off the again of a string of high-profile departures from the governing physique beneath president Ben Sulayem, whose heavy-handed method has rubbed lots of people the improper means.
In October, the FIA parted methods with its director of communications Luke Skipper and secretary basic of mobility Jacob Bangsgaard. Late final 12 months each sporting director Steve Nielsen and single-seater technical director Tim Goss resigned, whereas head of the FIA Ladies in Motorsport Fee Deborah Mayer additionally left. The FIA’s first CEO Natalie Robyn additionally give up the organisation in Could after lower than two years within the function.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem
Photograph by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Photographs
Following the newest departures in October, the FIA was eager to announce the appointment of Alberto Villarreal as basic supervisor and new Senior HR Director Alessandra Malhame.
Ben Sulayem has additionally alienated F1’s driver corps by way of clampdowns on the usage of jewelry and swearing, the latter netting Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc punishments in current races. Final week the drivers union GPDA known as on Ben Sulayem to deal with drivers as adults and rethink his method.
In an interview with Autosport in September, Ben Sulayem acknowledged that it was exhausting for the FIA to search out certified race administrators, asserting a brand new division to coach officers from grassroots degree.
“We now have a difficulty and the problem is that we do not have [enough] race administrators. You can’t organize them on Amazon or Google. No, it’s important to practice them,” he mentioned. “If we take what we’re doing right now in Components 1, you can’t depend on one. God forbid one thing occurs to him. So, we have now to have the ability to meet the extent of demand and have a pathway that’s good.
“We now have departments for a lot of issues, however we [didn’t] have a division for one factor which is sort of a spinal wire for us, which is the stewarding and race path. So, now we have now a correct division.”
The newest high-profile departure, in a division which Ben Sulayem has admitted is a pinch level for the organisation, is not going to ease calls from F1 groups clamouring for extra stability. Subsequently the FIA, which has been tight-lipped about all of it, can have some explaining to do.
