Former F1 race director Niels Wittich has reportedly claimed he did “not resign” – a matter of hours after the FIA announced his departure from his role. The FIA, F1’s governing body, said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon that 52-year-old Wittich had “stepped down” from his position to “pursue new opportunities.

Niels Wittich, the FIA’s Formula One race director, has allegedly been fired with three races of the season remaining after what sources described as a falling out with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

The official FIA statement suggested Niels Wittich resigned his role as Formula 1 race director, but Sky Sports News F1 report Craig Slater said he has been hearing a different story