F1 race director Niels Vitic has resigned with immediate effect following an unexpected decision announced by the FIA on Tuesday. His successor will be Louis Marquez, who previously served as F2 and F3 race director.
Witich's departure comes as a surprise to F1, and the timing is highly unusual considering there are still three races left in the 2024 season. The FIA did not give a reason for his resignation, but said: “The FIA can confirm that Niels Wittig has resigned from his position as Formula 1 Race Director to pursue new opportunities.” Portugal's Marquez will take command from the next race in Las Vegas.
Witic has not commented on why he resigned midway through the season, but he is the latest senior FIA official to do so. In the past 12 months, CEO Natalie Robin has stepped down after just 18 months in office, sporting director Steve Nielsen, technical director Tim Goss and FIA Women's Commission Chair Deborah Mayer. He was also appointed. It was another turbulent time for FIA president Mohamed Ben Sulayem.
Ben Sulayem has presided over a series of controversies since taking office in 2021. More recently, after the FIA cracked down on abusive language by punishing Max, the Grand Prix Drivers' Association publicly condemned him in a statement saying they should be treated as adults. Verstappen and Charles Leclerc specifically asked Ben Sulayem to be careful about his “tone and language”.
Witic took over from Michael Masi after a highly controversial decision at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Witich initially shared the role with Eduardo Freitas, and Marquez now becomes the fourth player to hold the role, following Charlie Whiting. He was active since 1997 and passed away in 2019.
F1 will celebrate its 75th anniversary next year with its first season-opening event, with all 10 teams sporting their livery at the major show at London's O2 Arena on February 18th. Billed as an interactive event, all 20 drivers will be in attendance along with their team principals and cars, as well as interviews with key figures in the sport and live music. Tickets go on sale Friday.
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Aston Martin also announced on Tuesday that Dan Fallows has resigned as the team's technical director but will remain part of the team's operations. The name of his successor has not yet been decided. Alpine has also confirmed it plans to switch to using Mercedes engines from 2026, at which point its parent company Renault will cease to be the F1 engine manufacturer.
