Freitas to take over as F1 race director at Spanish GP

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Eduardo Freitas will reportedly officiate as F1's race director for the first time this season at next week's Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

Freitas is sharing duties at the helm of race control this year with Niels Wittich who fulfilled the role in the first five F1 races of the 2022 season.

When they are standing post on F1 race weekend's both men rely on the other to work at their side as deputy director, but that duty was entrusted to FIA official Colin Haywood in Bahrain and also last weekend in Miami as those events clashed with Freitas' WEC duties.

The experienced Portuguese will stay on as race director for the Monaco Grand Prix but will hand back the baton to Wittich for Baku as that race clashes with the WEC's Le Mans 24 Hours.

In the first five races of 2022, Wittich's distinguished himself with a no-nonsense, straightforward approach to enforcing the rules, an attitude appreciated overall by the teams.

"From my point of view the new set-up with Niels and also Eduardo had a very good start going into this new era of F1," said McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl, quoted by Motorsport.com.

"Niels is quite straightforward in terms of making sure that the rules get enforced. He's also quite straightforward in terms of getting across what he's expecting. And that's what I personally like.

"And at the same time, he is always available for a dialogue and for constructive input as well, if you think things need to be reconsidered. And from this point of view, when I look now how these first races went, I think we are in a good place."

One area where Wittich's resolution was disputed was his decision to enforce an article from the FIA's International Sporting Code that bans drivers from wearing jewellery while out on track as well as non-compliant underwear.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, at whom the rule was aimed according to some, felt Wittich's action was "a step backwards" for the sport.

"I think we've got bigger fish to fry, bigger things to do, more impact to have, so I think that's really where the focus should be," said Hamilton in Miami.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.