Race director
In motorsport, the race director is responsible for overseeing all operations relating to competitive racing. The position involves promoting safety for events and manages the response to incidents that occur during races.
Roles
[edit | edit source]They are responsible for the regular and safety processes of the race weekend, including:[1]
- Deploying the safety car
- Managing the marshals around the circuit
- Deciding which flags are shown to drivers at different points of the circuit
- Monitoring track limits
- Pressing the button which makes the lights on the grid go out to signal the start of the Grand Prix
Formula One
[edit | edit source]In Formula One, race director is employed by the FIA. A permanent Formula One race director was established in 1988.[2] Before this period, the race director was not fixed, and they were appointed for every Formula One race.[citation needed]
For the 2025 season, Rui Marques serves as the race director and Claire Dubbelman serves as the deputy race director.[3]
| Name (Birth–Death) |
Term | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium Roland Bruynseraede (born 1939) |
1988–1995 | First individual to hold the position of race director in a full time capacity. | [4] |
| United Kingdom Roger Lane-Nott (born 1945) |
1996 | [5] | |
| United Kingdom Charlie Whiting (1952–2019) |
1997–2019 | Expected to serve as race director in 2019, he died three days prior to the start of the season. Whiting was the longest-serving race director in Formula One history |
[6] |
| Australia Michael Masi (born 1978) |
2019–2021 | [7] | |
| Portugal Eduardo Freitas (born 1961) |
2022 | Wittich and Freitas held the position on a rotating basis in 2022.
Wittich departed from his position prior to the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix. |
[8][9] |
| Germany Niels Wittich (born 1972) |
2022–2024 | [10][11] | |
| Portugal Rui Marques (born 1972) |
2024–present | Assumed the role in 2024 starting at the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix. | [12] |
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Single seater racing
[edit | edit source]IndyCar Series
[edit | edit source]In American open-wheel racing, currently known as the IndyCar Series, the race director oversees race control, determines track conditions (including flags), and assists with penalties or other infractions.[13] The current race director for the series is Kyle Novak, who has held the position since 2018.[14] Prior to Novak, the race director was Brian Barnhart, who held the position several times between 1997 and 2015.[15] Beaux Barfield served as race director from 2012 through 2014.[16]
Formula E
[edit | edit source]Marek Hanaczewski currently serves as the race director for Formula E. Hanaczewski replaced Scott Elkins, had previously served as Formula E's race director from the 2017–18 season[17] until his departure in 2025.[18][19] Before Elkins, the position was previously held by Oliver Grodowski.[20]
Endurance racing
[edit | edit source]World Endurance Championship
[edit | edit source]Eduardo Freitas is the current race director for the FIA World Endurance Championship, and has held the position since the series' creation in 2012.[21][22]
IMSA SportsCar Championship
[edit | edit source]Beaux Barfield has held the role of race director for the IMSA SportsCar Championship since the series' creation in 2014.[23][24]
References
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