Chaos appears to be mounting within both Formula 1 and the FIA as high-profile controversies disrupt their operations.
Earlier this week, the FIA announced the sudden departure of race director Niels Wittich, claiming he was "stepping down" immediately. Wittich denied this, telling motorsport-magazin.com, "I have not resigned," implying he was removed from his position.
Former F1 driver and pundit Christian Danner voiced his shock at the move.
"The race director has a huge responsibility," Danner said. "Not everyone can cope with such pressure, defending the interests of the sport and safety.
"You have to understand that race directors don't grow on trees," he added. "I think that throwing an impeccable director out on the street without any reason is not only outrageous in itself, but also completely ill-considered.
"Not just anyone can deal with the unbelievable pressure of dealing with Christian Horner, Toto Wolff, Zak Brown. We saw with Eduardo Freitas that he couldn't cope with it. Now we had a man who was doing a great job, and he has been sacked."
Danner argued that Wittich's strict adherence to the rulebook made him a fair and impartial race director, despite criticism over some recent decisions.
"At first, I thought it was the GPDA letter that could explain it, but if you read it, it wasn't about the race director. It was about the president. Maybe he's too touchy," Danner speculated, referring to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
The FIA has faced several high-profile departures this season, the latest being compliance officer Paolo Basarri, who had been tasked with investigating allegations against Ben Sulayem. Like Wittich, it is believed Basarri was dismissed.
Danner warned that Wittich's removal could destabilise the FIA's operations.
"A possible distraction from current problems is not a reason to fire a race director," he said. "Given the fact that we have no new talent to take over this position, I consider this an unnecessary destabilisation of the entire system and a fatal mistake by the FIA."
Meanwhile, Liberty Media's Formula 1 operations are also under scrutiny. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, along with Christian Horner, Toto Wolff, and Lawrence Stroll, are reportedly part of a US government investigation into alleged cartel-like behaviour over the FIA-approved but F1-rejected Andretti-Cadillac team entry bid.
Reports from f1-insider.com claim FBI agents are expected to interview the implicated officials at the Las Vegas GP next weekend, focusing on conversations allegedly held in a private WhatsApp group.
While Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei recently announced his resignation, sources deny any connection to the Andretti probe.
"One thing is certain," correspondent Ralf Bach noted. "(US) officials began investigating at the race in Austin in October, but refrained from taking drastic measures on site. Instead, they suggested video interviews.
"But the grace period is said to be over in Las Vegas."
