The organizer of FIA world championships in the US and senior steward Tim Mayer has hit out at Mohammed Ben Sulayem after turning into the most recent high-profile determine to be fired by the governing physique.
Mayer (primary pic) has advised the BBC he was fired by textual content message by one of many president’s assistants after having to symbolize the US Grand Prix race organizers in a latest proper of assessment. The profitable attraction centered on the language used to explain the character of the infringement at Circuit of the Americas’, the place a post-race observe invasion began earlier than all vehicles had been again within the pits final month.
“The official purpose that shall be given is that they felt there was a battle of curiosity with the FIA as I had led the precise of assessment in my function as organizer,” Mayer advised the BBC. “However that’s not why I used to be fired. Being an organizer is a job that I’ve fulfilled, benefiting the FIA, for over 12 years. This isn’t new.
“Regardless of the matter being resolved quietly and amicably, he’s [Ben Sulayem] 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 obtained a textual content from certainly one of his assistants.”
It’s not simply Mayer who’s leaving. Formulation 2 deputy race director Janette Tan can also be departing at a time when she was imagined to step as much as the F2 race director function instead of newly-appointed F1 race director Rui Marques. It’s understood that Marques will now fulfill the duties for F1, F2 and F1 Academy this weekend in Qatar.
“She is the epitome of the kind of particular person we would like working for the FIA, the most effective of the subsequent technology of race administrators,” mentioned Mayer. “I don’t know the circumstances, however one would assume they might work very onerous to maintain somebody of her character.
“I understand how onerous each of these jobs are. I like Rui lots, however it can put him beneath unbelievable strain. There aren’t loads of ‘platinum-level’ FIA race administrators, which is the FIA’s highest stage certification. I’m certainly one of them. It’s loads 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 is advisable be excited about.
“They’re not doing themselves any favors. They’re actually working out of individuals to do these jobs.”
Mayer and Tan comply with former F1 race director Niels Wittich and compliance officer Paulo Basarri in having lately departed in the previous few weeks, whereas CEO Natalie Robyn, sporting director Steve Nielsen, single-seater technical director Tim Goss and ladies in motorsport president Deborah Mayer have additionally all left throughout the previous 12 months.
George Russell says the departures are worrying, and creating an unstable scenario throughout the FIA that the drivers have issues about.
“Simply after we’ve requested for transparency and consistency, we’re eliminating two extremely essential individuals within the governing physique,” Russell mentioned. “It’s gone full 360. We nonetheless don’t have any reasoning for Niels’ removing. I don’t assume anyone was knowledgeable about Tim leaving. The primary I heard concerning the new race director doing Formulation 2 this weekend was by way of the media.
“Naturally in any group, when you’ve obtained individuals leaving or change of personnel, it’s by no means going to be a secure atmosphere. Folks should study the brand new guidelines and that’s very difficult for any workforce. It have to be tremendous difficult for everybody throughout the FIA proper now. We’d like to get a bit little bit of readability and understanding of what’s happening and who’s getting fired subsequent.”
