A leading Formula One steward has reportedly been let go by FIA chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
Tim Mayer, a highly respected figure in the sport and the son of McLaren co-founder Teddy Mayer, hasn’t been called up for steward duties since the United States Grand Prix in October.
Mayer was also involved in the organising of the race in Texas, with the 58-year-old among those forced to answer questions about fans invading the track.
It’s suggested he got off without punishment. but according to The Daily Mail, comments were made that angered Ben Sulayem.
As a result, Mayer was let go from his post having spent 15 years operating as an unpaid steward.
It comes amid a mass exodus of Formula One staff in recent months, with race director Niels Wittich let go from his post just a fortnight ago.
Wittich had been brought in following Michael Masi’s departure in the wake of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix fiasco involving Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
But the race director had to publically denounce claims made by the FIA that he’d stepped down from his role, insisting he’d instead been sacked by the governing body.
The recent exits leave the FIA with plenty of gaps in their roster – something they’ll aim to fix before the 2025 season gets underway.
In the meantime, there are just two races left of the 2024 campaign after George Russell held out to clinch victory on the streets of Las Vegas.
Russell’s achievement was somewhat overshadowed by Red Bull’s Verstappen, who clinched his fourth consecutive world title – a run that started with victory in Abu Dhabi three years ago.
But the Dutchman has suggested he would’ve still won the 2024 Formula One Drivers’ Championship had he been racing in a different car.
Commenting on his latest triumph, Verstappen told Dutch publication De Telegraaf: “Things like that only motivate me. If people are critical and think that I can only win in the best car, then I prove the opposite.
“If I don’t get credit for this now, then I don’t know what else I can do. Would I have become champion in the McLaren? Yes! And much earlier too.”
The action returns this weekend when the drivers head to the Middle East for the final two races of the year.
First off it’s Qatar, where Verstappen took the top spot on the podium last year – something he’ll be keen to replicate this time around.
