FIA warned of repercussions after 'scandalous' F1 axing

The FIA has been warned of the potential repercussions on F1 following the "scandaolous" decision to remove race director Niels Wittich. 

On Tuesday, F1's governing body announced that Wittich was to be removed from his position with immediate effect, to be replaced by F2 and F3 director Rui Marques in an unexpected decision.

Wittich indicated shortly afterwards that he had not resigned, with the FIA appointing the fifth race director in just five years to replace the popular German. 

Marques follows the late Charlie Whiting, Michael Masi, Wittich and Eduardo Frietas in serving as race director, but ex-F1 racer Christian Danner feels the governing body has made a major mistake in axing Wittich.

"You have an incredible amount of responsibility and not everyone can handle the pressure that is placed on you," Danner wrote in his Motorsport Magazin column.

"You have to make decisions in the interests of the sport and safety. The dismissal is dramatic because Formula 1 race directors do not grow on trees. They are plants that have been cultivated over many years

"For me, there is only one conclusion: putting a faultless race director on the street without any justification is not only scandalous in itself, but it is also completely ill-conceived. Who is supposed to keep replacing him?

"Where are the young race directors who can hold their own against someone like Christian Horner, Toto Wolf or Zak Brown in this job? 

"The pressure is so unbelievably high. Good race directors in motorsport are not automatically made for this specific job, with Eduardo Freitas we saw that not everyone can do it.

"We had someone who could do it and acted flawlessly."

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FIA warned over Wittich axing

Wittich was popular with the drivers and for a no-nonsense approach to the rule-book, including on track limits, with the FIA not providing clear reasoning behind the decision. 

Former German racer Danner believes a potential diversion by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem after recent controversies would be "no reason" to fire Wittich.

"He was completely unbiased. He was a strong race director who did not interpret the rule book, but implemented it by the book," he said. 

"I have already spoken about the young talent. Even if there were suitable candidates: who would still take on this job with this stress when you can simply be fired - no matter how good you are.

"And the second big issue is why. 

"Because you can't just fire someone - even in business - because you think they don't suit you anymore. If a committee had decided it, you would need arguments. But there weren't any. 

"My first thought was the letter from the GPDA. But it wasn't about the race director: it was about the president. Maybe he's a bit thin-skinned.

"Diverting attention from problems is no reason to fire the race director. In view of the fact that there is actually no real new talent, I think this is a fatal mistake by the FIA. 

"It is an unnecessary destabilization of the entire system."