Wittich has served as F1 race director since 2022, when he replaced Michael Masi after the highly contentious season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021, where Max Verstappen won the championship on the last lap by overtaking Lewis Hamilton after a controversial safety car restart.

In a statement issued by the FIA, F1’s governing body said Wittich had left the role "to pursue new opportunities.”

Formula 1 race director Niels Wittich has stepped down in a surprise move with three races to go and the title yet to be decided.

The struggling Alpine Formula 1 team will use engines and gearboxes from Mercedes starting in 2026 after parent company Renault cuts its in-house F1 engine program.

Renault's Alpine Formula One team will use Mercedes engines and gearboxes from the sport's new era starting in 2026, they announced on Tuesday. Alpine said in a statement the power unit agreement would run until at least 2030.

Alpine will run Mercedes engines from the 2026 season, the Formula 1 team confirmed on Tuesday. The new deal has been widely expected since Alpine, Renault's F1 team, announced the end of its own engine programme in France.