Dismissed race director remains uncertain about F1 departure.

      Former F1 race director Niels Wittich is still puzzled by his sudden dismissal from the FIA at the end of 2024. "It was a surprise to me as well," he told Sky Deutschland last Friday in Bahrain. "I didn’t see any indications that anything was wrong or that personnel changes were necessary. It was very unexpected—I'm still surprised!" Wittich was let go at a critical time just before the Las Vegas GP, which left his last-minute successor responsible for overseeing both the F2 and F3 races as well. "To this day, no reason has been provided to me," he disclosed. Wittich mentioned that his last in-depth conversation with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who dismissed him, occurred months prior at the Chinese GP. "I can’t say we had any clashes or a negative relationship," he noted. "I did try to understand what happened, but no one could provide me with an answer. I suppose Formula 1 can be quite fast-paced regarding personnel decisions, so I have to accept it as it is." Wittich has since transitioned to a role in GT racing administration.