Accidents, crashes, ...

Wild dress rehearsal for new Formula 1 race director

Rui Marques (left), the new race director in Formula 1, had his hands full during his dress rehearsal in Macau.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Peter PARKS, twitter.com/MotorsportTV_UK, FIA)

Wild dress rehearsal for the new Formula 1 race director! Rui Marques had his hands full at the 71st edition of the famous Macau Grand Prix. Heavy rain and accidents caused numerous interruptions and safety car deployments.

Formula 1 has parted company with race director Niels Wittich. The German wants to pursue "new opportunities", the FIA announced. He took over the position from Australian Michael Masi after the controversial finale in Abu Dhabi in December 2021 and initially alternated with Portuguese Eduardo Freitas, before becoming the sole race director in 2023.

Rain, accidents, interruptions, ...
Wittich's successor will be Rui Marques. The Portuguese was previously responsible for Formula 2 and Formula 3. He completed his dress rehearsal for the premier class in Las Vegas last weekend at the 71st edition of the famous Macau Grand Prix on the Guia Circuit. And things really got down to business there. Heavy rain and accidents caused numerous interruptions and safety car deployments. The races on the narrow street circuit, also known in motorsport circles as "Monaco on steroids", are notorious for their many crashes. An extremely turbulent and tough working weekend for the new F1 race director.

Here are some video highlights:

All racing series combined had come to 22 (!) red flags on Friday, seven of which were waved in Formula Regional qualifying. Marques then introduced an additional drivers' briefing. "The drivers were expressly asked to reconsider their attitude to this incredible race track," said a statement from the FIA. But it didn't get any better ...

In the main race, only five of the 15 laps could be completed without a safety car. In the end, only 15 of the 27 drivers on the grid saw the chequered flag, with 17-year-old McLaren junior Ugo Ugochukwu coming out on top.

Chaos in Las Vegas too?
And race director Marques is also likely to have a lot to do this coming weekend in Las Vegas, if last year is anything to go by. First Carlos Sainz unfortunately hit a manhole cover in practice, which damaged his Ferrari, the session was interrupted for a long time, then there were two yellow flags, a safety car and two penalties in the race.

It remains to be seen whether Marques can also keep a cool head when making decisions in Formula 1.