Formula E will have another race director from the Monaco E-Prix in May onwards after Scot Elkins decided to step down from the position he has held for the last seven years.
The FIA says his decision is "due to personal reasons" although Elkins had recently joined motorsport timing and technology solutions company Al Kamel as its new chief executive officer of a branch of its business to be known as Al Kamel North America.
Elkins missed the season-opening Sao Paulo E-Prix in December due to the death of his father but returned for Mexico last month.
His position will be filled by Marek Hanaczewski, who has been involved in Formula E in various race control functions since 2014 and has served as deputy race director since the 2021-22 season. He replaced Elkins in Sao Paulo in conjunction with FIA head of circuit operations, Benoit Dupont.
A member of the FIA High Performance Programme (HPP) for race directors and stewards, Dupont will ultimately hold a similar role alongside Hanaczewski to the one he took in Sao Paulo.
The race direction team will go through a transitional period at the upcoming Jeddah and Homestead races through February to March, then from Monaco Hanaczewski will take over full-time.
Hanaczewski said that "stepping into the role of race director is an exciting new chapter in my motorsport career, and the continuation of a journey that began 13 years ago".
"Since 2017, I have had the privilege to work alongside Scot, who has been not only a great leader but also a mentor, teacher and friend. I am incredibly grateful for the knowledge, experience and trust he has shared with me over the years.
"His contribution to Formula E is undeniable, and I deeply appreciate the time we have spent working together. Now, I look forward to leading race operations and ensuring the continued growth and success of the FIA Formula E world championship."
What will Elkins's legacy be?
Elkins was largely a popular and well-respected figure in the Formula E paddock during its growth years, which often included a great deal of volatility and pivoting on sporting and technical matters.
Although Elkins had called races and been involved in Formula E in Gen1, it was really the start of the Gen2 era when he fully transitioned from previous technical and operations head roles at IMSA and Champ Car to becoming a senior FIA figure in race control.
This came after he acted as a deputy to Charlie Whiting at several grands prix and speculation upon Whiting's sudden death in March 2019 was that Elkins had the possibility of taking over that role of Formula 1 race director.
Michael Masi - who was on the scene that weekend in Albert Park as Whiting's deputy as opposed to Elkins, who was between Formula E races in Sanya and working at the Sebring 12 Hours - got the race director role instead.
Elkins, who also served as Extreme E race director, was a key figure in ensuring that Formula E could complete its pandemic season of 2019-20 with the herculean effort to put on six races in 10 days at Berlin Tempelhof.
He was also central to several classic Formula E 'pop-up' circuits such as Hong Kong, London and Rome becoming a success, while his efforts to manage rare track flooding and get qualifying live at the inaugural Diriyah E-Prix were impressive.
Summing up his decade in Formula E, Elkins said: "The time has come for me to retire as race director. With the recent loss of my father this past December, I have new responsibilities that require my time and attention at home.
"While I had hoped to complete season 11 [2024-25] and retire at its conclusion, my plans have now been accelerated and my focus remains on my family. I will continue working in motorsport, primarily on projects based in the USA.
"I have been honoured to be a part of the Formula E paddock and am grateful for the friendships that have grown over the years. Although I am very sad to leave, I am confident in the staff that will remain. We have worked closely together, and I know they are committed to making the FIA Formula E world championship a success, this season and in the many to come."
There were difficult times too, notably some of the Gen2 mad-house races that featured multiple instances of contact and required several tactical contact penalties to be handed out.
There was also an incident at the Cape Town E-Prix in February 2023 when Sam Bird was unsighted and a slow response with warning or stoppage flags contributed to him broadsiding Edoardo Mortara's just-crashed and prone Maserati.
On balance, though, Elkins has led a team in race control that has generally made strong calls. He has an honest, direct and open relationship with drivers and team principals and is rightly respected for his clear and approachable manner. He will be greatly missed after Homestead in April.
