Formula 1 race director Niels Wittich has denied he willingly "stepped down" in order to "pursue new opportunities".
The governing FIA made the claims in a statement, adding that the tall German will be replaced by F2 and F3 race director Rui Marques for the remaining three grands prix of 2024 and beyond.
Sky News reporter Craig Slater said "senior figures" up and down the paddock are "shocked and surprised" at the news, believing Wittich’s departure could be due to disagreements with controversial FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
When asked if he willingly stepped down, 52-year-old Wittich told motorsport-magazin.com: "I have not resigned."
The report added that Wittich only heard the news shortly before the rest of the world.
Initially paired with Eduardo Freitas, Wittich replaced Michael Masi following the debacle of the 2021 championship finale when Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton to the title.