Niels Wittich, ousted as F1 race director in late 2024, remains mystified by his unexpected exit from the FIA.
"It came as a surprise to me too," he told Sky Deutschland last Friday in Bahrain. "For me there were no signs that something wasn't working or that there was a reason to make a change in personnel. Very unexpected—to this day!"
Wittich's dismissal hit just before the Las Vegas GP, a pivotal late-season race, thrusting his last-minute successor into managing F1, F2, and F3 duties.
"To date, no reason has been given to me," he reveals.
He last spoke in depth with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who ordered the sacking, at the Chinese GP months earlier. "I can't say that we clashed in any way or had a negative relationship," Wittich said.
"I did indeed try to find out what happened, but no one could give me an answer. I suppose Formula 1 is sometimes fast-moving when it comes to personnel, so I have to accept it for what it is."
Wittich has since transitioned to a role in GT racing officiating.
