Formula 1 race director Niels Wittich will be replaced in a surprise move with three races to go and the title yet to be decided.
The series' governing body, the FIA, said on Tuesday that Wittich had “stepped down” and would be replaced starting from next week's Las Vegas Grand Prix by Rui Marques, who had been race director for Formula 2 and 3.
However, German publication motorsport-magazin.com quoted Wittich, who is German, as saying: “I did not resign." The FIA did not immediately comment on that report.
“The FIA can confirm that Niels Wittich has stepped down from his position as F1 race director to pursue new opportunities," the FIA said in a statement, without explaining the timing of his departure.
“Niels has fulfilled his numerous responsibilities as race director with professionalism and dedication. We thank him for his commitment and we wish him the best for the future.”
The FIA added that Marques “brings a wealth of experience” to the role.
Wittich's departure signifies more upheaval at the FIA, which has already seen other senior officials leave over the last year. Drivers also last week criticized the FIA and President Mohammed Ben Sulayem over decisions that punished top drivers for swearing.
Marques' first event as race director could decide the drivers' title if Max Verstappen finishes ahead of his nearest challenger Lando Norris in Las Vegas on Nov. 23.
The role of race director focuses largely on safety and discussing any concerns with the drivers, though it became the focus of controversy in 2021.
Then-race director Michael Masi's decision to resume racing on the last lap of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after a safety car period allowed Verstappen to overtake Lewis Hamilton and win his first world title.
It sparked protests from Hamilton's Mercedes team, which were denied, and long-running debate over how F1 races should be overseen.
The FIA later ruled that Masi made a “human error” in overseeing the restart and that radio calls from team leaders at Mercedes and Verstappen’s Red Bull placed Masi under pressure. The FIA ended direct radio communication between the race director and teams.
Masi was replaced ahead of the 2022 season, initially by Wittich and Eduardo Freitas sharing the race director role, before Wittich took over sole responsibility.
Wittich was also the race director in Miami in 2022 when he attempted to implement an FIA push to crack down on drivers wearing jewelry. Hamilton responded by turning up to the event wearing numerous necklaces, watches and rings.
While there has been debate over how F1 races have been administered this season, it has generally centered on how other officials — the stewards — interpret the rules on overtaking, and the penalties for overly aggressive driving, as Verstappen and Norris have fought on the track.
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George Russell, of Britain, leads on his Mercedes after the start of the Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix at the Interlagos race track in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Sales rose this year during the holiday shopping season even as Americans wrestled with elevated prices for many groceries and other necessities, according to new data.
Holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve climbed 3.8%, outpacing the 3.1% increase from a year earlier, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks all kinds of payments including cash and debit cards. The last five days of the season accounted for 10% of the spending.
This year, retailers were even more under the gun to get shoppers in to buy early and in bulk since there were five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Michelle Meyer, chief economist at Mastercard Economics Institute, said the holiday shopping season “revealed a consumer who is willing and able to spend but driven by a search for value” as seen by concentrated online spending during the biggest promotional periods.
Sales growth was higher than the 3.2% increase Mastercard SpendingPulse had projected this fall. The data released Thursday excludes the automotive industry and is not adjusted for inflation.
Clothing sales rose 3.6%, with most of the growth being fueled by online shopping. Spending on restaurants, and sales of electronics and jewelry also grew. Online sales jumped 6.7% from a year ago and in-person spending rose 2.9%.
Consumer spending accounts for nearly 70% of U.S. economic activity and economists carefully monitor how Americans use their money, particularly during the holidays, to gauge how they’re feeling financially.
The most recent government data on consumer spending, released on Dec. 17, showed shoppers stepped up activity at retail stores last month. But auto dealer sales drove most of those gains as huge storms created a need for new cars in parts of the southeast slammed by Hurricane Helene in October. Big discounts at many retail chains also attracted shoppers.
But the report also hinted at some consumer caution as sales at grocery stores, clothing shops, and restaurants fell. Outside of car dealers and online retailers, sales gains were modest.
Retailers felt more pressure this year due to the shorter holiday shopping period, and also from a presidential election that captured the attention of many consumers. Sales of general merchandise slid 9% in the two weeks ended Nov. 9, according to Circana, a market research group. Sales have been rebounding but stores will have to make up for those losses.
A broader picture of how Americans are spending their money arrives next month when the National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, releases its combined two-month statistics based on November-December sales figures from the Commerce Department.
The group expects that shoppers will have made $979.5 billion to $989 billion worth of purchases in November and December, which would represent a 2.5%-3.5% increase over the same two-month period a year ago. That would be a slower rate than the 3.9% increase from holiday 2023 over holiday 2022 season.
Overall, retailers had a decent start to the unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping period despite lots of discounts that started as early as October.
FILE - A shopper looks at handbags at Macy's department store on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Anne D'Innocenzio, File)
