Portuguese Rui Marques is set to continue as the FIA’s Formula 1 race director for the 2025 season, having debuted in the role late last year.
Marques was appointed to the role ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November after Niels Wittich was surprisingly let go in the build-up to the event, having taken on the role in 2023 alongside Eduardo Freitas, before going solo last season.
Marques graduated to F1 race director have resided over Formula 2, but when his former deputy Janette Tan was dismissed ahead of the Qatar GP, he had to cast his watchful eye over F1, F2 and Formula 3 for the final two rounds of 2024.
According to The Race, Marques will continue as F1 race director in 2025 with the FIA also appointing Claire Dubbelman to be his permanent deputy.
Dubbelman is the FIA’s F1 sporting manager, having joined the governing body in 2017 and previously served as a championship manager responsible for 26 series, including F2 and F3.
The Marques/Dubbelman partnership will oversee the 24-race F1 calendar in 2025 and hope to bring stability to the race direction role that has gone through several changes since the tragic loss of the late, great Charlie Whiting in 2019.
The changes back up comments made last week to Spanish publication Marca by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulyaem, who said: “For sure there will be new blood and there will be more than one [race director] – that’s for sure.”
FIA steps up plans to deepen pool of F1 officiating talent
Dubbelman was schooled in officiating via the FIA’s High Performance Programme (HPP) which the governing body recently sought to bolster.
The second cycle of the programme was announced during an FIA Officials summit in Madrid, Spain last week, revealing that 12 new students – 6 Stewards and 6 Race Directors, will be trained in the art of motorsport officiating.
The candidates represent a 50/50 gender split, plus 11 countries over five continents and it’s hoped they will deepen the pool of officiating talent.
An FIA spokesperson revealed to The Race that “The objective is to future proof race operations through the pathway created by the High Performance Programme for officials.
“Offering personalised training and development as part of the Stewards and Race Director Pathway, the FIA HPP works with participants to reach the pinnacle of officiating, preparing the next generation of FIA Officials to work at the highest level of motorsport.”
Ben Sulayem, speaking at the Madrid-based officials summit, said “The FIA is dedicated to identifying and nurturing officiating talent, dedicated to ensuring accessibility and diversity, and dedicated to providing the support, the training, and the opportunities to empower.
“2025 is the year of our officials.”
The hope is through continual investment and development of officiating talent, more ready candidates will come knocking the next time the F1 race director vacancy opens up.
Still, for the sake of consistency, one hopes that moment won’t come for some time.
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