This week continues the exodus at the FIA. Formula 1 steward Tim Mayer and Formula 2 race director Janette Tan have both been dismissed from the governing body. The news comes less than two weeks after F1 race director Niels Wittich and compliance officer Paolo Basarri were the latest FIA figures to be unexpectedly shown the door.
Tim Mayer last worked as the chairman of the stewards during the United States Grand Prix in Austin. Mayer has been with the FIA for many years and is the son of McLaren co-founder Teddy Mayer. “(The FIA, ed.) is making things very difficult for itself. They will literally have no one left for all the work,” Mayer told the BBC about his dismissal. “It does not speak in favor of the board if you dismiss someone in a text message, especially when the federation relies on volunteers.””The British man is reportedly at odds with FIA Chairman Mohammed Ben Sulayem since the race in Austin, when a group of spectators climbed onto the track after the race. Mayer assisted the American organization in their protest against the fine imposed for the incident. Previously, no fine was imposed at the Canadian Grand Prix for a similar incident. “The organization was not very pleased with the verdict,” Mayer continues. “The official reason is that they (the FIA, ed.) believed there was a conflict of interest because I had led the right of review from my role as organizer.”
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Mayer is also part of the organization in Austin. “But that’s not why I was fired. I’ve been fulfilling the role of organizer for twelve years in favor of the FIA. This is not new. Despite the fact that the case has been settled calmly, Ben Sulayem is still angry and has decided to fire me. After fifteen years of volunteering as a steward, a decade of teaching other stewards, and hundreds of hours of volunteering in other roles, I received a text message from one of his assistants.”
Formula 2 Race Director Also Dismissed
Mayer is not the only one of the FIA top brass who was fired on the eve of the Qatar Grand Prix, Formula 2 Race Director Janette Tan was also dismissed. New Formula 1 Race Director Rui Marques will take over Tan’s duties, according to various sources, in addition to his duties as Race Director of Formula 1. Marques replaced the dismissed Wittich two weeks ago.
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