Tim Mayer, a senior steward with 15 years of experience, expressed concern over the FIA's staffing issues after being fired this week. Mayer's comments came shortly after the departure of Janette Tan, the deputy Formula 2 race director, which marks the fourth senior figure to leave the FIA in just over two weeks. Other recent departures include Niels Wittich, the former F1 race director, and FIA compliance officer Paolo Basarri.
Tan was set to take over as the F2 race director for the final two rounds of the season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. However, her departure means that Rui Marques, who made his F1 race director debut at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, will now oversee both F1 and F2 events. Mayer noted that this decision goes against convention, as it was considered too much for one person to handle both roles, a challenge that led to the late Charlie Whiting no longer combining them a decade ago.
Mayer voiced his disbelief over Tan's exit, praising her as an exemplary race director and one of the best in the next generation. He questioned the FIA's decision to let someone with her talent go, highlighting the high pressures of the race director role. Mayer, who is one of the FIA's few "platinum-level" certified race directors, warned that the FIA is running out of qualified people to fill these crucial positions.
The FIA did not directly respond to Mayer’s comments but released a statement emphasizing the support race directors now receive and the efforts to reduce the role's demands. The statement also highlighted the FIA’s 'high-performance programme,' aimed at identifying future race directors across various FIA categories. In the past year, the FIA has seen several high-profile departures, including its sporting director, technical director, and CEO.
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