3 minute read

Eddie Jordan has blasted former FIA F1 race director Niels Wittich, accusing him of timing a red flag to hinder Max Verstappen during the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The Brazilian Grand Prix proved to be a pivotal race in the battle for the F1 2024 Drivers' Championship, one where Max Verstappen rebounded from a huge qualifying setback to win the rain-affected race in stunning fashion, stretching his lead over Lando Norris to 62 points and very likely securing his fourth consecutive World Championship.

Qualifying for the Brazilian GP, which was held on the Sunday morning due to torrential rain on Saturday, proved a chaotic session with red flags aplenty, one of those costing Verstappen dearly as his early elimination was confirmed.

And while appearing on the Formula For Success podcast, Jordan made his belief clear that Niels Wittich, who departed the FIA F1 race director role during the break before Las Vegas, knew exactly what he was doing.

Jordan's exchange with podcast co-star, 13-time F1 race winner David Coulthard, began with Coulthard debating whether a rule of no pitting under the Virtual Safety Car should come into force, with the duo discussing ways in which the F1 rulebook could be changed for the better.

"I think it's kind of found its natural place now where the luck of where the Safety Car comes out is the luck of the racing gods," he began in answering his own question.

"We have to assume that the race director never looks at things like where cars are as to whether…"

At that point, Coulthard was interrupted by Jordan, who suggested that is exactly what Wittich did in Brazil.

"Of course he does! Of course he does!" Jordan stated.

"Are you telling me that Max was dealt a fair deal? Was he dealt a fair deal when the red flag came out six cars, seven cars later?

"Come on David, don't be stupid.

"You know the gods are in Lando's hands. They want Lando to win this Championship. But he's not going to, because Max has outfoxed him. That's it."

Coulthard replied: "Well, look, I don't know if it's true. I think that sometimes the racing gods just are…"

Once more, he was cut off by an increasingly animated Jordan.

"The red flag was wrong! It was a mistake!" Jordan claimed.

"He f***** up, didn't he!"

Verstappen would go from P17 on the grid, after a five-place grid drop for taking a new ICE, to victory at Interlagos by 19.5 seconds over runner-up Esteban Ocon in the Alpine.