F1 News: Another FIA chief ‘FIRED’ as mass exodus continues

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Another FIA chief ‘FIRED’ as mass exodus continues

Paolo Basarri has left his role at the FIA

By Sam Cook.

Friday 15 November 2024 15:01

FIA compliance officer Paolo Basarri has left his role with the FIA, with reports suggesting he has been fired.

Basarri joins race director Niels Wittich in leaving his role this week, with Wittich's departure revealed by the German himself to be a firing, despite FIA statements suggesting he resigned.

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The FIA have faced a number of key departures throughout 2024, with a mass exodus from Formula 1's governing body rocking the sport.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem's leadership has suffered some huge criticism of late, not least because of his body's public swearing row with three-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem is the FIA president

Niels Wittich left his role as FIA race director earlier this week

FIA mass exodus continues in high-profile departure

As compliance officer, Basarri was responsible for filing a report about Ben Sulayem's alleged misdemeanours, following whistleblower accusations.

Now, Basarri becomes the latest in a long string of high-profile departures from F1's governing body.

BBC Sport are reporting that the Italian has been fired as a consequence of FIA president Ben Sulayem 'losing confidence' in him.

Speculation surrounding Wittich's departure led the former race director to reveal that he had not resigned as official FIA statements had suggested, and was instead fired from his position.

Rumours surrounding Ben Sulayem's position as head of the organisation have been swirling for some time, following a Grand Prix Drivers' Association statement against his use of certain words to describe drivers, and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton's criticism of his comments about swearing, which Hamilton suggested had 'racial' undertones.

GPFans approached the FIA for comment on the matter.

Max Verstappen FIA Mohammed Ben Sulayem