Barely a month goes by without a senior departure from the FIA it seems, but the latest exit raises some serious concerns. Niels Wittich leaving immediately as F1 race director follows a worrying trend at motorsport’s governing body and one wonders what is causing it.
Wittich had held the position since 2022, when he replaced Michael Masi following the Australian’s controversial handling of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and was a popular figure within the organisation.
The German had started earning the respect of F1’s drivers too. During race weekend briefings with the drivers, he did not always have all the answers, but he was getting there.
The timing of his departure – and the fact it is immediate – is most definitely peculiar and requires more scrutiny. Sources say it was unprecedented and that it comes three races from the end of the season makes the development even more unusual.
Others have intimated that it has come after a fallout with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, but this has not been confirmed.
Whatever the reason for Wittich’s exit, it is part of a worrying trend as the FIA looks to be incapable of retaining senior staff.
Luke Skipper, former director of communications, left the FIA in October 2024.
This coincided with the departure of Jacob Bangsgaard, the former secretary general of mobility. Steve Nielsen also left his role as sporting director at the FIA in December 2023, just before single-seater technical director Tim Goss followed suit.
The FIA has lost several key members of staff in recent months
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Other departures from the FIA include the head of commercial legal affairs and the governance and regulatory director. Unsurprisingly, insiders say that morale is incredibly low at the organisation, which has been perplexed by the exits of “good people”.
The timing of Wittich’s exit is interesting. F1 is gripped in a championship battle and at a time where strong and consistent leadership and decision-making is vital.
It also comes after a strongly-worded letter from the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, which took aim at the FIA President. Has Wittich paid the price for that statement in the form of his job, despite not being the one criticised? We don’t know at this stage.
As the battered and bruised FIA organisation limps over the finish line after another F1 campaign where it has been in focus far too much for a regulatory…
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