F1: Race director in Miami as F1 dodges covid bullet (2nd Update)

(GMM) Formula 1 has dodged a bullet as one of its two new race directors recovers from covid ahead of this weekend’s first grand prix in Miami.

We reported last week that the two men who replaced axed Michael Masi for 2022 – Eduardo Freitas and Niels Wittich – both tested positive for covid-19 after Imola.

France’s L’Equipe said it blew “a small wind of panic” through Formula 1 as the pair could not travel to the United States until they tested negative.

The FIA never confirmed the rumor, with El Mundo Deportivo newspaper insisting that divulging medical information was not allowed “unless it is relevant to the development of an event”.

But a spokesman for the Paris-based federation has now confirmed to us that German Wittich – most recently the DTM race director – is present in Miami after all.

According to L’Equipe, the F1 teams have also been informed.

(GMM) Formula 1 is dangerously low on race directors ahead of next weekend’s inaugural and highly anticipated first race on the streets of Miami.

With Michael Masi ousted over the 2021 championship finale debacle, his two replacements Eduardo Freitas and Niels Wittich have both now tested positive for covid.

L’Equipe said the rumor has blown “a small wind of panic” through Formula 1, as the pair cannot even travel to the United States until they test negative.

An FIA spokesman would not confirm the news to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo, because divulging medical information about staff is not allowed “unless it is relevant to the development of an event”.

That would imply that the sport’s governing body is not worried that the problem could affect the race in Miami.

Race director assistant and F1 veteran Herbie Blash and Colin Haywood are being named as potential short-term replacements.

L’Equipe, however, said Blash and Haywood “do not have FIA race director certification”, so the job could instead be passed to DTM race director Scott Elkins.

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However, Massi has the most F1 experience, and is probably most qualified to fill in.  Now that teams cannot badger the race director, Masi would do a fine job.

F1’s FIA governing body are thrown into crisis again after their new race directors Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas  both have tested positive for Covid – meaning they are in doubt for the inaugural event in Miami.

They were appointed after Michael Masi was sacked in February following last year’s season finale drama.

One source said: ‘The FIA are totally lost as to what to do.

‘Drivers’ lives are on the line and they don’t seem to have a structure in place for the possibility that neither official is negative in time to fly.’

On Wednesday night, the FIA declined to outline what contingencies are in place.

If asked to substitute, Masi would likely tell the FIA to go pound sand.