The new race direction does not have unanimous support in the paddock

Certainly in Formula 1, race directors come and go, and controversies as well. Since the departure of Michael Masi, who sadly became famous for his poor management of the last race of the previous season, two new race directors have arrived.

Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas now alternate officiating. It is mainly the former who has been in charge since the beginning of the season, while Freitas took on his duties for the first time in Barcelona and Monaco. The Portuguese was not in Baku as he was overseeing the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

But if the change in direction of the race had initially satisfied the paddock at the beginning of the season, the reactions are starting to change. Valtteri Bottas thinks that one race director is better than two, and Haas driver Kevin Magnussen says that it is now more difficult to really understand what the rules are.

The most outspoken one is the Japanese Yuki Tsunoda who did not hesitate to express his dissatisfaction with the race direction. « I don’t trust the FIA. Every time it’s super inconsistent. I already have four reprimands, and the last one in Monaco, I still don’t know why. » rages the AlphaTauri driver.

The team managers are playing the appeasement card.

But Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas can count on some team directors to show their support in the face of the difficulty of their task. While acknowledging that the work is not easy to accomplish, Mattia Binotto, the boss of Ferrari, notes that everything has not been perfect.

« If I look at the beginning of the season, certainly as Ferrari, we cannot be satisfied with that. I think we have often been disadvantaged by decisions, but that’s how it is. » regrets the Scuderia director.

We understand the difficulty. I think in order to make them progress, we must also help them. I think it should be a collaboration between the teams and the race directors, to ensure that they understand and improve as quickly as possible. There is no doubt that so far this season, there was sometimes a lack of consistency in the decisions, I think we can’t deny that, but it’s not an easy job.

“Binotto continues.”

The director of Mercedes, Toto Wolff, seems to agree with the statements of his Italian counterpart. As Mattia said, it is a difficult job because you are also in the spotlight, and certainly, in Monaco, when you are thrown into those weather conditions, and suddenly you have to make decisions, it’s very, very difficult,” added Wolff. “And I think that the more races they go through, the more experience they will gain, and the more they will be able to handle the pressure that Formula 1 brings with it.”

Toto Wolff was among those who expressed many reservations about Michael Masi last year, as the Australian made several controversial decisions that had irritated both Red Bull and Mercedes at times. But above all, he was criticized for a lack of consistency in his decisions, something that his two successors were unable to eliminate.

« After last year in Abu Dhabi, the race director is in the spotlight much more than in previous years, » defends Günther Steiner, the team principal of Haas, who calls for patience. « So, everyone is watching them and with every little mistake, they are criticized more than before and that can’t be easy. We just have to give them a little time and I think they’ll succeed. Not having been a race director in Formula 1 before, they are doing a decent job. »

Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas will have to quickly reach the level expected by the protagonists in order to avoid facing further criticism.