The “weird timing” surrounding the sudden departure of a Formula 1 race director will continue to prove the sport’s main talking point at this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The FIA, F1’s governing body, unexpectedly announced last week that Nils Wittich left the role with immediate effect and was replaced by Rui Marquez, who moves up from the F2 and F3 equivalent positions.
But while the FIA’s statement announcing Vittich’s departure said the German official had “stepped down” from his post to “pursue new opportunities”. Sky Sports News understands that the 52-year-old specialist was actually removed from the position he held since 2022.
The sudden change in one of the sport’s most important roles was discussed in a recent edition. Sky Sports F1 Podcast.
“I just don’t understand Nils Witich’s script,” he said Sky Sports F1 Commentator David Croft.
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Sky Sports’ Craig Slater takes a closer look at why Nils Wittich has stepped down as F1 race director and who will replace him in the role.
“If they were going to replace him at the end of the season, replace him at the end of the season, bring in someone to shadow him for the next few races.
“If something is done to replace him immediately, that’s fine, things like that happen, people get fired and we don’t always find out why. But it seems like a very strange time for that to happen.”
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And when Marquez made his debut in the F1 Race Control hot seat at the logistically complex Las Vegas street circuit, Croft added: will do a bad job.
“I don’t know if he’ll do a bad job or a good job, to be honest, and I’m sure the FIA thinks he’s up to the task, and I’m sure he’ll do the best job possible. can
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David Croft believes that if Max Verstappen wins the drivers’ championship in Las Vegas, nothing should detract from his “genius”.
“But you need experience in these things. It’s a high-pressure weekend. So hopefully we’ll have a pretty smooth weekend where we don’t have any loose pavements. Or We don’t have many accidents.”
Listen to the latest edition of the Sky Sports F1 Podcast in full as Crofty and F1 podcaster Tom Bellingham preview the second race in the sport’s history on the neon-lit streets of Las Vegas at the weekend Max Verstappen could seal his fourth world title and McLaren take a big step towards their first construction championship in 26 years.
