A senior steward fired by System 1’s governing physique says the FIA is “working out of individuals to do these jobs”.
The feedback by Tim Mayer – a senior steward for 15 years who says he was fired this week – come after BBC Sport discovered that Janette Tan, the deputy System 2 race director, has additionally left the FIA.
Mayer and Tan carry the variety of senior figures to depart to 4 in simply over two weeks, after the firings of the and .
Tan had been set to take over as F2 race director on the ultimate two rounds of the season – the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix over the brand new two weekends.
However her departure implies that Rui Marques will now be race director for each F1 and F2 on the two occasions.
Marques made his debut as F1 race director on the Las Vegas Grand Prix final weekend, following the sacking of Wittich. Marques was previously the F2 race director.
Mayer informed BBC Sport in an unique interview that he was “incredulous” on the departure of Tan, who can also be the director of race operations on the Singapore Grand Prix.
“She is the epitome of the kind of individual we wish working for the FIA, the very best of the following technology of race administrators,” Mayer stated. “I do not know the circumstances, however one would assume they might work very onerous to maintain somebody of her character.”
The choice to ask Marques to cowl off each F1 and F2 in Qatar and Abu Dhabi is towards conference. The final time one individual did each was the late FIA F1 director Charlie Whiting, who died in 2019. He stopped combining the 2 roles greater than a decade in the past when it was determined the workload was too excessive.
“I understand how onerous each of these jobs are,” Mayer stated. “I like Rui loads, however it should put him underneath unbelievable strain.
“There aren’t a number of ‘platinum-level’ FIA race administrators, which is the FIA’s highest degree certification. I am one in all them. It is a number of work and, if you’re doing the job proper, you get up day-after-day with an ulcer pondering of all the assorted issues it’s worthwhile to be desirous about.
“They don’t seem to be doing themselves any favours. They’re actually working out of individuals to do these jobs.”
Mayer additionally addressed his personal sacking, and different current controversies to do with the FIA.
Tan was unavailable for remark.
The FIA didn’t immediately tackle BBC Sport’s questions however issued an announcement describing the extent of help the race director receives of their duties, saying the function had turn into “loads much less onerous” consequently.
It additionally emphasised its ‘high-performance programme’ aimed toward figuring out race administrators, saying “a lot of candidates have been earmarked for future roles throughout a spread of FIA classes”.
Previously yr, the FIA has additionally misplaced sporting director Tim Nielsen, technical director Tim Goss, chief govt officer Natalie Robyn, together with the pinnacle of fee for ladies Deborah Mayer, secretary normal of mobility Jacob Bangsgaard and director of communications Luke Skipper.
President ‘wished swearing clampdown’
Mayer added that the current got here immediately from the FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
“His view is that the drivers must be penalised for swearing – and what has occurred since displays that,” Mayer stated.
Stewards’ panels are supposed to be impartial our bodies. However Mayer stated: “There are occasions when he has immediately concerned himself in making his views identified. Not with the stewards immediately, however by way of his employees.
“A part of the job of the stewards is to implement the FIA’s coverage on the foundations.
“Technically, dangerous language is outlawed, so it is not unfair. Whether or not it is wise we must be chasing drivers for reasonably gentle swearing is one other matter.
“Most drivers, English is their second, third or fourth language and each go-kart child on the planet, it is the primary phrase they’re taught in English. There are different methods to deal with that sort of factor until your want is to flex your muscle tissue.”
Why has Mayer left the FIA?
Mayer stated he was fired by way of a textual content from one in all Ben Sulayem’s assistants on Tuesday.
“For a federation that depends on volunteers to fireside by textual content any individual who has made a big contribution doesn’t communicate nicely of the administration of the federation,” Mayer stated.
He stated the explanation for his dismissal as a steward was Ben Sulayem “took offence” on the contents of an attraction doc filed by the Circuit of the Americas (Cota), host of the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.
Mayer represented the Austin organisers in a ‘proper of assessment’ listening to into a call to advantageous them 500,000 euros, with 350,000 euros of it suspended, after a monitor invasion on the finish of the F1 race on 20 October.
Cota officers have been “not greatest happy” on the judgement, Mayer stated. The same scenario on the Canadian Grand Prix this yr led to a warning.
Mayer, who was performing within the attraction in his function as sporting organiser of the three grands prix within the USA, stated that his involvement within the attraction initially led to to him being faraway from the stewards panel on the Sao Paulo Grand Prix earlier this month, earlier than his firing as a 2025 steward this week.
“The official motive that shall be given is that they felt there was a battle of curiosity with the FIA as I had led the fitting of assessment in my function as organiser,” Mayer stated.
“However that’s not why I used to be fired. Being an organiser is a task that I’ve fulfilled, benefiting the FIA, for over 12 years. This is not new.
“Despite the matter being resolved quietly and amicably, he is nonetheless upset and determined to fireside me. After 15 years of volunteering my time as a steward, a decade educating different stewards and tons of of hours volunteering in different roles, I received a textual content from one in all his assistants.”
Mayer stated that Ben Sulayem felt a component in the fitting of assessment paperwork “was a private assault on him”.
“I did not write that a part of the doc, nevertheless it was my job to current it,” Mayer stated.
“There was no intention of attempting to trigger an issue with the FIA and I’ll proceed because the sporting organiser of the three US Grands Prix. This was such a minor level that it’s baffling that anybody would take such offence.”
Cota succeeded in having the language of the fitting of assessment verdict modified, eradicating a discovering that organisers had “did not take cheap measures”.
“In US legalese, that’s synonymous with negligence, which is problematic for a US company physique,” Mayer stated.
“Following the fitting of assessment listening to, the stewards subsequently agreed with us and adjusted the penalty to a breach of Article 26.7 of the F1 laws, which states that nobody is allowed within the monitor earlier than all of the vehicles are within the pits, which is an announcement of reality. Some followers did attain the monitor.
“Within the course of, there have been harm emotions on behalf of the president, which I feel is odd as a result of there was no trigger for his emotions to be harm when everybody else handled this in an expert method.”
