Niels Wittich rubbishes FIA announcement just hours after 'stepping down' from role

Former F1 race director Niels Wittich has rejected the claims that he stepped down from his role - and sensationally said he was sacked by the world motorsport governing body.

The FIA by revealing he had resigned and announced Rui Marques as his replacement, starting from the Las Vegas Grand Prix next weekend.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the sport's governing body explained: "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.

But according to Austrian outlet , Wittich disputes the wording and events given by the FIA surrounding his departure. The report claims Wittich insisted that he didn't step down from his role as F1 race director.

When asked why he had decided to leave his role, Wittich is quoted saying: "I have not resigned." The outlet also reports he was informed of his dismissal shortly before the statement was released from FIA's HQ in Geneva.

Wittich was brought in alongside Eduardo Freitas for the 2022 season after Michael Masi departed in the wake of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix controversy.

Freitas stepped down from his role after the Japanese Grand Prix that year, leaving Wittich as the sole race director moving forward. With just three races remaining in the 2024 campaign, he has now departed the FIA as well.

While there may be some doubt raised over whether the FIA fired Wittich or he resigned himself, what is certain is that the 52-year-old will no longer be in charge of F1 races.

Wittich's handling of the Brazilian Grand Prix was criticised by some drivers such as Max Verstappen, who launched a scathing attack on Race Control's 40-second delay in bringing out the red flag in torrential conditions. It cannot yet be confirmed if this had a part to play in Wittich's departure.

The responsibility of handling F1 races will now fall on Marques, a long-serving FIA official who already has a vast wealth of experience as a track marshal, scrutineer and steward in other racing series.

In recent years, the Portuguese official has been regularly employed to oversee races in the Formula 2 and Formula 3 feeder series. But the pressure of managing F1 events has arguably never been higher after Masi's high-profile exit and now Wittich's departure.