Who is Rui Marques? FIA confirms new F1 race director replacing Niels Wittich

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The FIA has confirmed that Niels Wittich has resigned as the Formula 1 race director with Rui Marques taking charge from the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix, but who is he?

Wittich has decided to leave his post for the FIA with immediate effect after less than three complete seasons in the position of its Formula 1 race director. The German only took over the post ahead of the 2022 season when F1 and the FIA initially moved Michael Masi aside.

Eduardo Freitas initially shared the race director role with Wittich before the latter secured sole responsibility following the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix. Yet he has now sought to move on to pastures new with Wittich looking to pursue new opportunities outside of Formula 1.

The FIA has confirmed that Marques will now step in and occupy the role of Formula 1 race director from the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix. Marques arrives in F1 after recently holding a similar role in Formula 2 and Formula 3 and has enjoyed an extensive career within the FIA.

Wittich’s decision to leave his position as the FIA’s Formula 1 race director was not expected before attentions swiftly moved onto promoting Marques ahead of the final three rounds of the year. So, with that in mind, F1 Oversteer looks at all you need to know about Marques…

Rui Marques oversaw F2 and F3 for two years before becoming the F1 race director

The FIA reacted quickly to Wittich’s resignation to promote Marques after two years serving as its race director for Formula 2 and Formula 3. He took over the role of managing the two feeder series from Bob Kettleboro in March 2022 having also worked outside single-seaters.

Marques arrived in the Grand Prix paddock as the FIA’s F2 and F3 race director after largely making his name in touring car championships. The Portuguese most notably served as the deputy race director with the FIA World Touring Car Cup before taking charge of F2 and F3.

Within his role for the FIA before replacing Wittich as the Formula 1 race director, Marques was also a member of its Volunteers and Officials Commission which was his first position.

Rui Marques joined the FIA in 2012 and became a deputy race director in 2014

The WTCC paddock was Marques’ home for the best part of a decade after joining the FIA in an official capacity in 2014 after two years on the Volunteers and Officials Commission. His first race in an official FIA capacity came in Marrakesh in 2014 for the WTCC season-opener.

Safety for all involved in motorsport is a key priority for Rui Marques

Formula 1 teams, drivers, circuits, race organisers, fans and marshals will quickly understand that safety is of absolute importance for the FIA’s new race director, Marques. He has always put the safety of anyone involved at the very top of the Portuguese’s list of responsibilities.

“The most challenging part of my job is the safety,” Marques said in May 2024. “The safety is always the biggest concern, safety for the drivers and for the marshals all involved in motorsport. That is the main concern in our work.”