by LAS VEGAS (AP) — There are three races left in the Formula One season and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is close to a fourth consecutive world championship, which can end Saturday night at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Not everything is easy as we approach this last month of racing:
— There is a new race director following the dismissal of Niels Wittich who blindsided the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association so much that it created an Instagram account to denounce the lack of transparency of the FIA.
“It was a bit of a surprise, I think, for everyone,” said Mercedes driver George Russell, GPDA director. “There is a lot of pressure now on the new race director (with) only three races to go. Often, as drivers, we probably feel like we’re the last to discover this kind of information.
— Greg Maffei, CEO of Liberty Media, the company that owns the commercial rights to F1, announced last week that he was resigning from his position. This followed months of speculation that owner John Malone was unhappy with Liberty’s landing in two different Justice Department investigations, one involving F1’s refusal to allow Andretti Global to participate in the series and the other over allegations of monopoly on Live Nation concert tickets.
The Andretti team is expected to receive approval from F1 to join the grid, but without Michael Andretti, who has significantly reduced his role since the IndyCar season ended in September.
— F1 denied this weekend that Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula One Management, was also on the move amid rumors the Italian would take over MotoGP if Liberty’s purchase of the series was approved.
— Renee Wilm, a longtime Liberty Media employee, CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix and potential successor to Domenicali, told the Associated Press that she would fill any role Malone gave her, but that she had little desire to move from Colorado to London to replace Domenicali. Maffei’s new job? Who knows.
Many drivers, including seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, have been at odds with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem since his election following the 2021 season finale. In the GDPA statement, they reminded the body of sanction that “our members are adults” who don’t need lectures or fines for foul language or jewelry bans, and simply want fair and consistent control of the breed.
Ben Sulayem did not respond, and there will be none this weekend since he is not participating in the LVGP. He will be in Qatar and in the final in Abu Dhabi next month.
Hamilton doesn’t think all the behind-the-scenes changes will be a fan topic at the end of the season. But he noted that consistency in race control is all the drivers have asked for, while lending his support to Domenicali and the work Maffei has done to develop F1 since Liberty took over.
“I really hope Stefano doesn’t leave because he’s been instrumental in the changes and progress in all of this,” Hamilton said. “And he knows the sport as well as anyone. But all good things must come to an end, and whoever they put in place, I just hope they’re like-minded. But sometimes you have to shake the trees.
This is exactly what happened with the surprise departure of race director Wittich. Although drivers have been unhappy with race refereeing this season and held a private GPDA meeting in Mexico, Russell said they were not warned of Wittich’s absence.
The race director is the referee every weekend and Wittich has been in charge since 2022, when Michael Masi was fired following the controversial 2021 season-ending and championship-changing finale in Abu Dhabi. Now the person in charge of the last three races is Rui Marques, racing director of Formula 2 and Formula 3.
Las Vegas, which overcame many obstacles in its debut last year before putting on one of the best races of the season, is a tough place to start. Verstappen can win his fourth title by simply scoring three more points than McLaren’s Lando Norris.
“It’s a bit weird with three races to go to do that,” Verstappen said. “It doesn’t matter if you are positive or negative about certain things. I thought in Brazil there was definitely room for improvement, for example. It’s still a bit strange to now have to deal with another race director.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc questioned why the decision was made with just three races remaining.
“To do it this late in the season, at such a crucial time in the season, it probably could have been handled in a better way,” he said.
Drivers have consistently called for clearer guidelines for race officiating, particularly regarding track limits and racing rules. The drivers have no idea how Marques will officiate, highlighting a disconnect between the competitors and Ben Sulaymen’s FIA.
“We just want to be transparent with the FIA and have that dialogue,” Russell said. “And I think Niels leaving is also a great example of not being part of those conversations.”
The GDPA statement makes it clear that drivers do not feel their voice is being heard.
“If we feel like we’re being listened to and some of the changes we’re asking for are being implemented, because ultimately we’re only doing it for the benefit of the sport, then maybe our confidence will increase,” Russell said . “But I think there are a number of drivers who are a little fed up with the whole situation. This seems to be going in the wrong direction.
He also said the relationship between the drivers and the FIA seemed broken.
“Sometimes hiring and firing is not the answer,” he said. “You have to work together to solve the problem. »
Norris, who has faced Verstappen this year with mixed refereeing decisions, said that “obviously things are not going as well as we would like.”
Marques has his first driver meeting before the two free practice sessions on Thursday evening, then three weeks to prove to competitors that he is ready for the job.
Carlos Sainz Jr., who will leave Ferrari for Williams at the end of the season, hopes the drama will not distract from the momentum F1 has built over the past five years.
“I think Formula 1 is going through a big moment at the moment and with all these rumors, I think in every team, in every position, there are position changes,” he said. “It’s not a big drama. I am a big fan of the people you mentioned, they have done an incredible job in Formula 1 and Formula 1 is what it is because of these people. But it’s so moving, especially Stefano’s. The only one who has a real impact is the race director. But I think if he does a good job, it should be transparent and nothing big. »
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