Steve Nielsen, the sporting director of the FiA [Formula One’s governing body] has formally resigned from his role a mere 11 months after being appointed as sporting director in January 2023 after a tumultuous 2022 season following the 2021 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix fiasco.
The Brit Nielsen, 59, gave no reasoning for the resignation.
Nielsen was well regarded by all Formula 1’s teams and drivers and his resignation is likely to cause yet another void in the FIA, which began two years ago in Abu Dhabi after a rogue race director mis-applied rules and deprived Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton of an eighth world championship.
That race director resigned and the new FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem took over in late December 2021 with Nielsen eventually being appointed in a restructure of the FIA’s F1 operations, which named FiA technical director, Nikolas Tombazis as single-seater director.
Before being named sporting director earlier this year, Nielsen had been sporting director for the Tyrell, Benetton, Renault and Williams teams and for F1, after Liberty Media’s management role began in 2017.