Ex-race director Wittich surprised: 'Not had a reason for my resignation'
F1 News
Former F1 race director Niels Wittich has spoken out, saying that he had "not been given a reason" for his sudden departure from the FIA. There is also a revelation from the German that he had not spoken to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem since the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix before he was sacked from his position in November 2024.
Before the end of the 2024 season, the news came that the FIA had fired Wittich with immediate effect just before the Las Vegas Grand Prix, an unexpected and shock decision, not only for the Formula 1 world, but also for Wittich himself.
Wittich: 'No reason was ever given to me'
"It was totally unexpected for me," he says in conversation with the German branch of Sky Sports. "There were no signs that anything was going wrong or that a personnel change was needed. It was really a surprise and it still is."
It was a bizarre move to make by the FIA in the first place, but such a sudden and abrupt change of race director before the 2024 season had even concluded was the real surprise, with no one sure as to why the move had been made by the FIA and its president.
Asked if he had been in touch with Ben Sulayem, Wittich replied, "To this day, I have not been given a reason for my resignation. The last time I spoke to the FIA president was last year in China. So there has been no conflict or bad understanding.
"It's a shame, of course. I really enjoyed working in such a great team and guiding a sensational racing class. Formula 1 is a fast-paced world, not only on the track but also in terms of personnel, both teams and officials. I have to accept it as it is," Wittich added.
Has he tried to clarify the reason behind his dismissal? "I did indeed, but nobody could give me an answer," concludes Wittich, who soon found another position as the race director of the GT World Challenge Europe series.
This article was created in collaboration with Olly Darcy
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