New F1 race director faces extra duties after double FIA dismissal
Two more departures from the FIA means F1 race director Rui Marques has an increased workload in Qatar this weekend.
F1’s new race director Rui Marques faces an increased workload at the Qatar Grand Prix following a shock sacking at the FIA.
Crash.net has learned that Janette Tan, the deputy Formula 2 race director, has left F1’s governing body on the eve of the penultimate race of the 2024 season.
Tan’s surprise exit means that Marques will have to oversee both Formula 2 and F1 Academy, the female-only championship, as well as his F1 duties.
Marques only started his new F1 role at last weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix after Niels Wittich left his position.
The FIA said Wittich had stepped down but the German claimed he had been fired.
An F1 race director has not been responsible for overseeing multiple championships on the same weekend since the late Charlie Whiting, who died in 2019.
It has emerged that long-serving FIA race steward Tim Mayer has also left the organisation.
Mayer, who has held the position for 15 years, told BBC Sport that he had been fired this week.
Speaking about Tan’s sudden exit, Mayer was critical of the FIA.
"She is the epitome of the type of person we want working for the FIA, the best of the next generation of race directors," Mayer told BBC Sport.
"I don't know the circumstances, but one would think they would work very hard to keep someone of her character.”
Mayer also warned that the FIA is “running out of people to do those jobs”.
"I know how hard both of those jobs are," Mayer added. "I like Rui a lot, but it will put him under incredible pressure.
"There aren't a lot of 'platinum-level' FIA race directors, which is the FIA's highest level certification. I'm one of them. It's a lot of work and, if you are doing the job right, you wake up every day with an ulcer thinking of all the various things you need to be thinking about.
"They're not doing themselves any favours. They are literally running out of people to do those jobs.”
Sporting director Tim Nielsen, technical director Tim Goss, managing director Natalie Robyn, the head of commission for women Deborah Mayer, secretary general of mobility Jacob Bangsgaard and communications director Luke Skipper are the other big-name departures from the FIA in the past 12 months.
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