F1 drivers and the FIA not on the same page: 'That's not the solution'
F1 News
George Russell has revealed the F1 drivers "had no idea whatsoever" about Niels Wittich's departure as the Formula 1 Race Director. The Mercedes driver, who is the GPDA director, seems to disagree with the approach the FIA has taken and calls upon the governing body to be more transparent with the drivers.
The FIA thanked Wittich for his work as Race Director in Formula 1 and suggested he himself decided to take up a challenge elsewhere in the initial press release. It took less than an hour for the German to respond to this message, indicating that he was pushed out of the role.
A rumour in the German media suggested Wittich's poor relationship with the drivers was the reason for the departure. There was speculation that Mohammed Ben Sulayem subsequently decided to replace Wittich to accommodate the drivers and get into calmer waters with them himself.
Did the F1 drivers expect Wittich to leave?
"We had no idea whatsoever. We definitely weren't aware. It was a bit of a surprise, I think, for everybody. Often as drivers, we probably feel like we're the last to find out this sort of information. When it involves us kind of directly, it would be nice to be kept in the loop and have an understanding of what decisions are being made. Time will tell. I'm sure the new guy will handle the position just fine, but definitely not an easy race for a new race director," Russell said.
Russell admitted that some were unhappy with some of the decisions being made but doesn't believe a knee-jerk reaction was required. "I think there's no secret that some were not happy with what was going on in terms of the decisions that were being made but at the end of the day, I think if you work together with us, we could have helped improve the matter. Sometimes just hiring and firing is not the solution. You kind of need to work together to improve the problem. So let's see what this new sort of era is going to bring. But every time there is a change, you have to take one step back before you make the two steps forward," Russell warned.
Rui Marques will be the new race director in Formula 1 from the Las Vegas Grand Prix onwards. He already has experience in the same position. Until recently, he held the position of race director in Formula 2 and Formula 3, and now he is making the big move to F1. Russell noted how there is a lot of pressure on the new race director, starting with a difficult race on the Las Vegas street circuit.