FIA race director Niels Wittich steps down, Rui Marques to take over in the F1 Las Vegas GP
The FIA race director Niels Wittich has stepped down with immediate effect and will be replaced by Rui Marques in the F1 Las Vegas GP. In a decision that comes as a surprise to many, the German is moving from his current position to pursue new opportunities.
Wittich became the race director after the ‘AD 2021’ scandal involving Michael Masi. The Australian courted a lot of controversy and online hate when he made the call in the 2021 title decider to bring the safety car in on the final lap and go racing. The move left Lewis Hamilton on the backfoot against Max Verstappen, who had fresh soft tires.
As a result, the Dutch driver capitalized on the restart and overtook the Mercedes driver to win the race. The title-deciding move led to Masi’s departure, with Niels Wittich replacing him as the FIA race director.
The 2024 F1 season was the first time we had a semblance of a title battle since 2021 and the race director and the stewarding faced a lot of scrutiny this season as well.
Whether that has played a role in Wittich’s departure is something that’s not entirely clear. In a press release issued by the FIA, the governing body informed of Wittich’s departure and him being replaced by Rui Marques from the F1 Las Vegas GP.
“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.”
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