“Unhappy” FIA sporting director Steve Nielsen quits job leaving F1 drivers “dismayed”
He only startedﷺ the role in January 2023 and was tasked with improving race control.
But he🃏 has quit after less than a year due to being “unhappy”, according to the BBC.
“The FIA was no🐭t willing” to implement the changes that Nielsen recommended to impro♔ve its race control operation, the report states.
Nielsen had previously worked as sporting director for the Tyrell, Benetton, R🅰enault and Williaꦚms F1 teams. He then worked for Formula 1 after its takeover by Liberty Media.
F1 teams and drivers were suppඣortive of Nielsen being appointed earlier this year and will be “dism🐓ayed” by his sudden exit, and “concerned” by what might come next.
The FIA has also seen Deborah Mayer quit her job as head of the coꦡmmission for women this month.
The departures are the latest difficulties🌠 for the governing body led by Mohammed ꦏBen Sulayem.
He courted controversy this month by launching an investigation into Toto Woꦕlff and Susie Wolff which was later dropped.
The Wolffs and Mercedes F1 team strongly c🍌ondemned the investigation. The other nine F1 teams provided statements insisting they did not make complaints to prompt the FIA investigation.
James was a sports journalist at 🐎Sky Sports for a decade covering🐲 everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
