The FIA has restructured its racing operations with Nikolas Tombazis, who has led the FIA’s Formula 1 technical team since 2018 becoming Single Seater Director.
There will be four divisions: Sporting, Technical, Financial and Strategy & Operations all reporting to Tombazis.
Following many years of close collaboration with the FIA in his previous position at FOM and reflecting that continued collaborative working relationship, Formula 1’s sporting director Steve Nielsen is to move across to take the same role at the FIA, and will be responsible for overseeing all sporting matters including the ongoing development of Race Control and the Remote Operations Centre, as well as future updates to the Sporting Regulations.
Tim Goss will take over Tombazis’s role as technical director, having already served as deputy for the last couple of years.
Federico Lodi, who has led the FIA’s Financial Regulations team since its inception, is now becomes the FIA’s Formula 1 Financial Director.
Former Sporting Director François Sicard will take on a newly-created position within the FIA as Formula 1 Strategy & Operations Director, responsible for long-term strategic planning, and also for key trackside activities and logistics.
The Formula 1 Group says that it is currently assessing a new sporting structure, following the departures of Ross Brawn and Nielsen, although with the new appointments this should not really be necessary as the F1 group is simply the commercial rights holder and should really only advise on sporting matters. This will solve the problem of clashes between the regulator and the series promoter. And that has to be a good thing.