The Formula One race director, Niels Wittich, has stepped down from his post with immediate effect in an unexpected decision announced by the FIA on Tuesday. He will be replaced by Rui Marques, who was previously the race director for Formula Two and Formula Three. Wittich’s departure came as a surprise to F1 and is highly unusual in its timing given there are three races of the 2024 season remaining.
Wittich has made no comment on why he has stepped down during the season, but he is the latest senior FIA officials to leave. In the past 12 months the chief executive, Natalie Robyn, moved on after 18 months in post, as have the sporting director, Steve Nielsen, the technical director, Tim Goss, and the head of the FIA commission for women, Deborah Mayer, in what has been a period of turbulence for the FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
He has presided over a string of controversies since he took over in 2021. Most recently, he was publicly upbraided by the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association who maintained they should be treated like adults after the FIA clamped down on swearing by punishing Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc and specifically demanded Ben Sulayem mind his “tone and language”.
Wittich took over from Michael Masi after his highly controversial decisions at the Abu Dhabi GP in 2021. Wittich initially shared the role with Eduardo Freitas and Marques will now be the fourth to take on the job since Charlie Whiting, who had been in the role since 1997, died in 2019.
F1 will celebrate its 75th anniversary next year with its first season-launch event with the 10 teams unveiling their liveries at London’s O2 Arena on 18 February. All 20 drivers will be in attendance alongwith their team principals and cars in what is described as an interactive event, featuring interviews with key figures from the sport, as well as live music. Tickets will go on sale on Friday.
On Tuesday Aston Martin announced Dan Fallows has stepped down as technical director, but he will remain as part of their operation. His replacement has yet to be named. Alpine have confirmed their expected switch to using Mercedes engines from 2026 and at which point their parent company, Renault, will cease its role as an F1 engine manufacturer.
