Niels Wittich forced to resign by FIA: "To this day, I have not been given a reason"

His sudden and unexpected departure had raised many questions in the paddock. Last November, the FIA ​​announced the end of its collaboration with its race director Niels Wittich three rounds before the final whistle, assuring that he "has left his post as race director of the F1 to pursue new opportunities. Niels has fulfilled his many responsibilities as race director with professionalism and dedication. We thank him for his commitment and wish him the best for the future »

But soon the first information appeared and revealed many elements. If a resignation had been mentioned, our colleagues from Sky Sports F1 assured at the time that the German had "no intention" of leaving his post, explaining that he had simply been fired by the Federation. The English media even confirmed that " Wittich's relationship with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem was also somewhat contentious. " while some teams said to themselves " shocked and surprised » by this decision.

Wittich breaks his silence

Nearly 4 months after the incident, Niels Wittich spoke publicly for the first time. According to him, everything happened abruptly as the exchanges with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem were no longer recurring. I saw no signs that anything was wrong or that there was a reason to make a personnel change., he told Sky Germany.

It was a complete surprise. To this day, I have not been given the reason for my resignation. The last time I spoke to the FIA ​​President was last year in China. So there was no conflict or bad understanding.

It’s a shame. I really enjoyed working in such a great team and managing such a category. Formula 1 is a world that is changing rapidly, not only on the track but also in terms of personnel, whether it’s the teams or the officials. I have to accept it as it is. »

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