Niels Wittich Leaves

Niels Wittich Leaves

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Discussion

davidd

Original Poster:

6,531 posts

292 months

Siao

1,043 posts

48 months

Tuesday 12th November
quotequote all
Weird timing...

Pincher

9,044 posts

225 months

Tuesday 12th November
quotequote all
Siao said:
Weird timing...
BBC said:
A senior source said that Wittich, as a result of his relationship with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, had left earlier than expected.
How to say so much in so few words... biggrin

PhilAsia

4,945 posts

83 months

Tuesday 12th November
quotequote all
Siao said:
Weird timing...
Late autumn?

zsdom

1,164 posts

128 months

Tuesday 12th November
quotequote all
https://x.com/msm_christian/status/185635765349817...

I dont know who that is but to be retweeted by Benson he must be trusted

nnnitram

168 posts

9 months

Tuesday 12th November
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[quote]An FIA spokesperson said: "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.
[/quote]

Anyone who has worked in a corporation during a leadership shake-up knows this phrasing means "we asked him to leave, immediately".

thegreenhell

17,330 posts

227 months

Tuesday 12th November
quotequote all
I look forward to Michael Masi being reinstated for the final races to give us an exciting championship finale.

Big Nanas

2,089 posts

92 months

Tuesday 12th November
quotequote all
thegreenhell said:
I look forward to Michael Masi being reinstated for the final races to give us an exciting championship finale.
Good grief, can you imagine.

I think any 'meddling' by the race director would have to be from Vegas, as Max can easily win his championship there.

AlpineWhite

2,149 posts

203 months

Tuesday 12th November
quotequote all
thegreenhell said:
I look forward to Michael Masi being reinstated for the final races to give us an exciting championship finale.
We're going motor racing, Christian

rdjohn

6,403 posts

203 months

Wednesday 13th November
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thegreenhell said:
I look forward to Michael Masi being reinstated for the final races to give us an exciting championship finale.
rofl

honda_exige

6,630 posts

214 months

Wednesday 13th November
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Confirmed sacked.

Very odd. Maybe Max wasn't supposed to win in Brazil hehe

Siao

1,043 posts

48 months

Wednesday 13th November
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PhilAsia said:
Siao said:
Weird timing...
Late autumn?
Very late!

Sandpit Steve

11,402 posts

82 months

Wednesday 13th November
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This is a weird one, obviously a falling out with the FIA brass hats.

There’s a suggestion that he had a blazing row about something with MBS at the last race, I guess we’ll get the details when one or other of them writes a book several years down the line after the NDAs have expired.

snotrag

14,940 posts

219 months

Wednesday 13th November
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I've never seen a press release that stinks of 'A Meeting without coffee and biscuits was held' than this.

His face didnt fit, or perhaps he knows too much and was about to shake things up.

Collect your things from your office, dont come back....


This, plus the GPDA starting to shout a little louder, suggests the top of the FIA is not in a happy place.

TheDeuce

25,293 posts

74 months

Wednesday 13th November
quotequote all
Plainly booted. Either because he was doing something wrong or he was unhappy that the big brass were doing something wrong...

Also, to be fair, there were some wonky calls at the last GP concerning flag timing and safety in very wet conditions.

It must be next to impossible to get that job right these days. Play it too safe and you're ruining 'the show', play too loose and you're potentially creating needless danger. Is the position of race director essentially a poisoned chalice due to conflicting desires from the big bosses as to how each race should be directed...? Probably.


BTW, what happened to the policy of having two race directors post AD21? That didn't last very long! Perhaps it was too difficult to control two race directors... although that was supposed to be the point...


thegreenhell

17,330 posts

227 months

Wednesday 13th November
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TheDeuce said:
BTW, what happened to the policy of having two race directors post AD21? That didn't last very long! Perhaps it was too difficult to control two race directors... although that was supposed to be the point...
The guy who was supposed to be alternating with Wittich as race director, Eduardo Freitas, was fired in 2022 after less than a year in the role.

Siao

1,043 posts

48 months

Wednesday 13th November
quotequote all
TheDeuce said:
Plainly booted. Either because he was doing something wrong or he was unhappy that the big brass were doing something wrong...

Also, to be fair, there were some wonky calls at the last GP concerning flag timing and safety in very wet conditions.

It must be next to impossible to get that job right these days. Play it too safe and you're ruining 'the show', play too loose and you're potentially creating needless danger. Is the position of race director essentially a poisoned chalice due to conflicting desires from the big bosses as to how each race should be directed...? Probably.


BTW, what happened to the policy of having two race directors post AD21? That didn't last very long! Perhaps it was too difficult to control two race directors... although that was supposed to be the point...
From memory, near the end of 2022 they got rid of Freitas, after messing up a few GPs. They brought the two to replace the previous, bad director and they had to put Freitas on the bench for being, well, bad. I remember it was a bit embarrassing for the FIA at the time.

simon_harris

1,811 posts

42 months

Wednesday 13th November
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Given how tone deaf the FIA are it would not surprise me in the slightest if they brought back Masi and told fans to "get over it"

Sandpit Steve

11,402 posts

82 months

Wednesday 13th November
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So who are they going to bring in for the poisoned chalice as the next race director?

The current Formula 2 RD is a guy called Rui Marques, or will they bring someone from FE or WEC?

andygo

6,970 posts

263 months

Wednesday 13th November
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I'm guessing MBS will take up the position as he loves being in charge.. smile