Former F1 race director Niels Wittich remains baffled by his sudden dismissal, with the FIA yet to provide any explanation for his exit.
Niels Wittich has revealed the complete lack of clarity from the FIA regarding his sudden departure at the end of last year.
The German was dismissed ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, a decision he says was “just as surprising” to him as it was to the rest of the F1 paddock.
Having held the position alone since the end of the 2022 season, the 52-year-old was well established in his role and did not see his dismissal coming.
“I had no indication that anything was wrong or that there was any reason for a personnel change,” Wittich said.
“So in that sense, it was a complete surprise – and it still is to this day.”
The decision comes amid rising tensions between F1 drivers, through the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who refused to justify Wittich’s dismissal to them, stating that it was not their concern.
When asked if he had sought explanations from the FIA at the time of his dismissal, Wittich confirmed that he had tried, but without success.
“I actually did. But no one was able to give me an answer. To this day, no reason has been given to me. And the last time I spoke with the FIA president was last year in China, so that was… back in April!”
“So I can’t say we had any falling out or a negative relationship. I had relatively little contact with him.”
Wittich, who described the situation as “a shame,” was replaced by F2 and FIA F3 race director Rui Marques for the remainder of the season.
He is expected to remain in the role until the start of the 2025 F1 season but will not be the sole holder of the position, as confirmed by Ben Sulayem himself.
“It was an incredible pleasure to work with such a fantastic team and oversee such an amazing series,” Wittich concluded.
“Formula 1 can move quite quickly when it comes to personnel, whether on the team side or among officials. I just have to accept it as it is.”
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Wittich Sacked: Ex-F1 Race Director Still Left in the Dark Wittich Sacked: Ex-F1 Race Director Still Left in the Dark Wittich Sacked: Ex-F1 Race Director Still Left in the Dark
