Niels Wittich leaves F1, Sergio Perez confirms: “They fired him”. The announcement of the "resignation" of FIA Race Director Niels Wittich was revealed a few days ago.

Change of leadership
In recent days, the Formula 1 circus was shaken by the announcement – which came unexpectedly and with immediate effect – of the “resignation” of FIA Race Director Niels Wittich, who had taken on this role (initially alongside Eduardo Freitas and later alone) after the controversial 2021 season, which ended with the removal of his predecessor Michael Masi. However, the federation’s version of a voluntary departure for the Race Director quickly started to fall apart.

Resignation or dismissal?
The German website Motorsport-Magazin was the first to openly suggest the possibility – which over time became more and more of a certainty – that Niels Wittich had been fired. This version was later confirmed by one of the most experienced drivers on the grid, Mexican Sergio Perez. The Red Bull driver discussed it in an interview with one of his associated brands, the investment bank Banorte. Max Verstappen‘s teammate had no particular doubts when analyzing the situation.

Sergio Perez has no doubts
“In sport, there’s always someone who agrees and someone who doesn’t,” Checo said, speaking about the recent discussions surrounding the regulations. “Sometimes I think that right now there is a bit of a lack of control. In fact, they just fired the Race Director, Niels. So now we will have a new Race Director. It will be interesting. I think we need stability. The drivers, the teams in general,” Sergio Perez concluded. The new Race Director, Rui Marques, will make his debut at the Las Vegas Grand Prix next weekend.