Method 1’s new race director Rui Marques will want a thick pores and skin as he tackles probably the most demanding jobs in motorsport, says Lando Norris
The previous Method 2 race director has taken over the position after the surprising departure of Niels Wittich, who moved into the place in 2022. Whereas the FIA’s assertion mentioned Wittich had stepped down from the position, studies elsewhere quoted him saying he didn’t select to go away.
Though Marques has three years’ expertise within the position from F2, Norris mentioned he can anticipate fiercer scrutiny from F1’s drivers and groups. “Their job is hard,” he mentioned. “I don’t suppose folks realise how robust it’s.
“As drivers we all the time give – I imply, we give everybody – numerous abuse half the time. So it’s in all probability one of many hardest sports activities to police on the planet, I believe.
“I don’t find out about each different sport, however I believe it’s a sport the place there’s so many issues can occur. You need guidelines, however you additionally don’t need guidelines, and that makes it very robust. You’re all the time going to have people who disagree and people who agree. So I believe it’s only a very robust place to be in.
“We additionally acknowledge it’s a really robust place to be in and to place your self up for that position within the first place, I believe, takes a little bit of guts as a result of you realize you’re going to get crap from each facet sooner or later, and also you’ve obtained to simply accept that. You’ve obtained to be keen to simply accept that. I don’t suppose that’s simple for anybody to do.”
Wittich initially shared the position with Eduardo Freitas in 2022, earlier than taking on it full-time final 12 months. Norris says F1’s total race management operation would profit from having constant staffing.
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“I don’t know what’s happening there, clearly issues aren’t operating as easily as what we’d need,” he mentioned. “However as such a giant sport – [in] just about each different sport you’ve gotten everlasting stewards, you’ve gotten everlasting folks, you’ve gotten a everlasting group that run the whole lot for consistency and plenty of different causes. That’s all I do know. That’s what we would like as drivers. That’s what we request.”
Marques’ first occasion might be on the latest occasion on the F1 schedule the place operating was badly disrupted throughout its inaugural occasion when a unfastened water valve cowl broken two automobiles. Nonetheless Esteban Ocon has confidence in Marques will show as much as the duty of holding the weekend organised.
“I believe it’s positively not a simple race to start out in, round right here, as a avenue circuit,” Ocon mentioned. “However I believe Rui, he got here from Macau [Grand Prix] simply now, so it’s in all probability a harder circuit than right here, positively.
“I’m trying ahead to assembly him and having good chats on the drivers’ assembly with him and seeing how he works. I’m positive we’re going to be speaking lots on how he does issues, what concepts he has, crucial matters to us like monitor limits, kerbs, and so forth. Everyone has his approach of doing issues. We have to clearly talk nicely when it comes to what we really feel is essential going ahead.”
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