New FIA racing director Rui Marques has spoken for the first time about his appointment, after being named for the final three races of the 2024 F1 season in place of Niels Wittich, who he says was ousted from the role .
And the Portuguese confirms that he is not a long-term choice, for the moment anyway, with a role assigned to him until the end of 2024 only. Enough to also confirm that Wittich's departure is sudden and linked to recent tensions, with the pilots and probably President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
The German, who had extensive experience as a race director thanks to his time in DTM, was appointed by president Mohammed Ben Sulayem ahead of the 2022 season, sharing the role in rotation with Eduardo Freitas.
At the end of the season, Freitas was released from this arrangement – widely believed to be due to a recovery vehicle being allowed onto the track during the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix in the rain.
Wittich had become the only race director officiating in F1, before being ousted, contrary to what the FIA press release stated.
Rui Marques will therefore assume the role of race director from the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Most recently, he served as race director in Formula 2 and Formula 3.
Marques, a native of Portugal – and compatriot of Freitas – was the race director of last weekend's Macau Grand Prix, marred by an astonishing 12 red flags during the qualifying session.
Speaking to media in Macau, Marques spoke about his appointment for the first time.
“It's not about being surprised. Things evolve and the experience we gain brings us these possibilities,” he said when asked if he was surprised to have received the call from the FIA to take on the role in F1.
With Macau being a key testing ground for young drivers wanting to progress to F1, did his experience in Macau help convince the FIA that he was the right man to succeed Wittich?
“I believe we all grow in the categories we compete in because of the history and experience we gain. Macau is another one of those experiences. We take the Macau experience into city racing, on these kinds of circuits, and Macau is part of all that.”
Although Marques succeeds Wittich with immediate effect, he was unable to confirm whether he would retain the role in F1 2025.
“For now, I'm going to officiate until the end of the year. Then we'll see about the future.”
Formula 1 has had three racing directors – Freitas, Wittich and Michael Masi – since the death of Charlie Whiting in early 2019. Marques responded pragmatically when asked if he felt the role was somewhat cursed.
“No, it’s just another category for which I will be race director” but he admitted that “It’s true that the challenges – especially in terms of media – will be very different from what I’m used to.”
The FIA is currently in tension with the Grand Prix Drivers' Association over its sudden enforcement of sanctions for drivers' use of swearing – with Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc both having been penalized for doing so.
When asked how he viewed such sanctions, Marques laughed: “I'm not going to go into details. I'm just a race director!”
