FIA has announced the hiring of Tim Malyon as new Sporting Director after the departure of Steve Nielsen as they also confirm the departure of Tim Goss.
Over the winter period, there were reports of Nielsen leaving his Sporting Director role at the FIA. While it was not confirmed or denied at that time, but the governing body has done so now by stating that he will his work at the end of January 2024.
He will be replaced by Malyon, who takes over as the Sporting Director within the Single-Seater Department. He will report to Nikolas Tombazis, while overseeing the sporting matters which includes Race Direction and Remote Operations Centre.
The FIA has also confirmed the retention of Niels Wittich as the Race Director for the 2024 F1 season after they returned to the single director formula last year. Malyon is not new to the governing body after serving as Head of Research and Safety Director.
Prior to that, he has worked with Red Bull and Sauber in F1, while outside that he has worked in DTM and also Formula E. “I am delighted to be taking on the role of Sporting Director,” said Malyon. “We have already brought significant change to our Race Direction operation with the support of the ROC and I look forward to taking that to the next level.
“We are also committed to a broad regulatory review of sporting matters, and I look forward to applying a sharper focus to those efforts in the future.” Outgoing director Nielson added: “I’d like to thank the FIA for the opportunity to work on the regulatory side of the sport, which has been a fantastic experience for me over the past year.
“The FIA team working in Formula 1 are a hugely passionate, dedicated group of people who work incredibly hard to achieve the best outcomes for the sport, and I am sure that the positive work that we have done together already will continue into the future.”
Nielson will not be the only one leaving as the FIA also announced the departure of its Technical Director Goss, who has decided to take up a role outside the governing body. “It’s been an honour to work as Technical Director at the FIA and to help shape the future of the sport,” he said.
“I take immense pride and satisfaction from the numerous achievements of the Technical Department during my stint at the FIA. The department boasts a number of highly-talented individuals and I believe the organisation is on a firm footing in terms of technical expertise for the tasks which lie ahead – particularly the introduction of the 2026 regulations. I leave with fond memories of my time with the FIA.”
Summing up all of the shuffling, Tombazis stated: “I am excited to welcome Tim to the role of Single-Seater Sporting Director. Tim has a wealth of motorsport experience and expertise at the highest level. He will play a major role as we continue to bring rigour to our sporting and regulatory practices and procedures, and he will drive the innovation we have brought to our Race Control operation.
“Tim has been pivotal in creating a strong synergy between Race Control and the ROC with the introduction of new technology including artificial intelligence and state-of-the-art data analysis and processing systems. He will continue to oversee advances in that area as well as taking the lead on the evolution of FIA sporting regulations.
“Steve has been a fantastic asset to the Single-Seater Department over the course of the 2023 Formula 1 season and has been part of a crucial year of development and positive steps forward in our activities. There is, of course, still a lot to do, and we will be building on these strong foundations over the coming years. We wish Steve the best for his next challenge.
“We are disappointed to lose a person of Tim’s calibre from the organisation. Tim has played a major part in the Technical Department and has always operated to the highest level. We understand that his career is taking a new direction going forward and we support and respect his desire to pursue another path, and wish him luck for his future endeavours.”
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