Behind Closed Doors: The Mysterious Departure of F1's Race Director
Mar.3 - Former F1 race director Niels Wittich remains baffled by his abrupt late-2024 dismissal from the FIA.
"It came as a surprise to me too," he told Sky Deutschland last Friday in Bahrain.
"For me there were no signs that something wasn't working or that there was a reason to make a change in personnel. Very unexpected - to this day!"
Wittich was sacked at a crucial moment at the tail end of the world championship before the Las Vegas GP, leaving his last-minute replacement to also handle the F2 and F3 races.
"To date, no reason has been given to me," he reveals.
Wittich says he last spoke in detail to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem - who sacked him - months earlier at the Chinese GP.
"I can't say that we clashed in any way or had a negative relationship," he said. "I did indeed try to find out what happened, but no one could give me an answer.
"I suppose Formula 1 is sometimes fast-moving when it comes to personnel, so I have to accept it for what it is."
Wittich has now moved into the world of officialdom in GT racing.
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Regardless of whether sacking is justified, an explanation should at the very least be given to what led to such an action as everyone has a right to know about matters that directly concern the relevant individual.
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