Exclusive: FIA deputy race director Claire Dubbelman exits for Saudi motorsport role
Claire Dubbelman, one of the FIA’s fastest-rising officials and a key figure in Formula 1’s race control team, has left the governing body and is set to join Saudi Arabia’s national motorsport federation.
Dubbelman departs after nearly nine years at the FIA, where she arrived in 2017 as a championship manager before stepping up to F1 sporting manager and deputy race director in February 2024. She worked alongside Rui Marques, who took over as F1’s permanent race director last season, and quickly became a visible and respected presence in the pitlane and paddock.
Her contract expired on December 31, 2025, and sources indicate she leaves on good terms ahead of taking up a new position within Saudi Arabia’s sporting and technical department. It’s a move that nods to both her growing influence and Saudi Arabia’s continued push to deepen its footprint in global motorsport.
Dubbelman’s rise has been notable for more than just speed. She became the youngest-ever individual — and the first woman — to hold an FIA Super Licence for Race Directors, a milestone she described last year as “a step forward for everyone working to break barriers and build a more inclusive future in motorsport.” That statement wasn’t mere PR polish; in race control, where cool heads and precise judgement matter more than job titles, Dubbelman earned a reputation for both.
The FIA now faces a timely piece of succession planning. With Marques in the top job, the deputy role was an anchor in a race direction team rebuilt over recent seasons. Dubbelman’s departure leaves an immediate gap in experience, particularly around the intricate choreography of modern grands prix weekends — sprint formats, evolving race procedures, and the ever-thickening rulebook that teams prod at with relentless creativity.
For Saudi Arabia, it’s another significant hire. The country joined the F1 calendar in 2021 with the Jeddah Corniche Circuit and has held an early-season slot since 2022. A second race remains an ambition, with Qiddiya often mentioned as a future venue. Bringing in a senior operator with fresh, top-level F1 experience suggests Saudi motorsport isn’t just staging events; it’s building structures and people to run them.
What makes Dubbelman’s move especially interesting is the breadth of influence that comes with it. National federations are the quiet powerhouses that underpin everything from grassroots competition to world championship sanctioning. By stepping into a sporting and technical role there, she’ll trade headset and pit wall stress for the bigger picture — governance, standards, pathways — the stuff that shapes a country’s motorsport for years.
Her impact on F1 won’t vanish overnight. The processes she helped refine and the culture she helped build under Marques will carry forward into 2025. But don’t underestimate the intangible factor: trust. Teams develop a feel for the people on the other end of the radio, and that rapport can be the difference between a procedural molehill and a mountain at 300 km/h. Whoever fills the deputy seat inherits not just a job description, but a relationship with the grid.
Saudi Arabia’s motivations are obvious and increasingly consistent. Hosting big events is one thing; embedding world-class know-how is the next step. Dubbelman brings exactly that — fluency in current F1 sporting practice, credibility in the room, and a track record of navigating high-pressure calls without drama.
As ever in the paddock, timing is everything. The 2025 season is already rolling into view, with the early flyaways looming and teams busy stress-testing new ideas under the winter quiet. The FIA’s shuffle will happen in parallel, and it’ll be worth watching how quickly the deputy role is filled and by whom. Continuity matters in race control, perhaps more than anywhere else.
Dubbelman’s own words last year still land well: the licence was a milestone, but not the destination. This next chapter — from the nerve centre of F1 to shaping a nation’s motorsport backbone — feels like the logical step of someone who’s not waiting for doors to open. She’s building new ones.
