FIA sporting director Steve Nielsen resigns after less than a year

Reports indicate 59-year-old was unhappy with various parts of role.

January 2, 2024
Cian Brittle

Nielsen follows Deborah Mayer in resigning from the FIA in December
FIA had been criticised for investigation into Toto and Susie Wolff

Steve Nielsen, sporting director of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), has stepped down after less than a year in the role.

At the start of the 2023 season, the FIA conducted an internal review ordered by the governing body’s president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

This structural overhaul saw Nikolas Tombazis appointed as as single-seater director, with Nielsen moving from Formula One Management (FOM) to a role that he had twice turned down in the past.

These previous reservations have returned, however, with multiple reports indicating that the 59-year-old was unhappy with various parts of his role.

BBC Sport reports that Nielsen felt the FIA was not willing to make the changes he thought were required to make its race-control operations fit for purpose.

This was the second resignation in the space of a month for the FIA, with Deborah Mayer stepping down as the head of the governing body’s commission for women.

The FIA also courted controversy earlier in December following an investigation into a conflict of interest between Toto and Susie Wolff.

Statements from all Formula One teams disputing the FIA’s move highlighted the deepening divide between Formula One and its governing body.

BlackBook says…

The FIA appears to be on shaky ground ahead of the 2024 season, with various flashpoints increasing tensions with Formula One to their worst levels in recent memory.

This all takes place against the backdrop of the potential Andretti entry to the series, something that Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali has been against since the outset.

Teams supported the appointment of Nielsen, an experienced voice in the sport who aimed to guide the FIA through a difficult period.

Ultimately, there has been little progress, and the FIA faces being made to look foolish once more in the face of further damage to its relationship with Formula One.