The FIA is in shambles (again)
Honey, you've got a big storm coming...
If you haven’t already heard about the chaos surrounding the FIA, then I would recommend you read one of my earlier posts: What the FIA is going on?
To quickly summarise, Motorsport UK Chair, David Richards, posted a letter on behalf of the organisation voicing concerns over “the erosion of accountability and good governance within the FIA”, amongst many other things. He ended the letter by saying they would take further legal action if the FIA did not address his concerns.
His letter followed two statements from the Grand Prix Drivers Association and the World Rally Drivers Alliance, both of which are detailed in my other post. Both statements essentially criticise the FIA for their handling of certain situations and for not treating their drivers like adults with extremely pressurised jobs.
If all of that wasn’t enough, today the Deputy President of Sport in the FIA, Robert Reid, has resigned with immediate effect due to what he called a “breakdown of governance standards”.
The BBC also reported that Reid said he had "growing alarm over critical decisions being made without due process or proper consultation.”
He made a statement on his Instagram that reads:
After deep reflection, I have made the difficult decision to resign as FIA Deputy President for Sport.
I took on this role to help deliver greater transparency, stronger governance, and more collaborative leadership.
Over time, those principles have been increasingly set aside and I can no longer, in good faith, remain part of a system that no longer reflects them.
Stepping away was not easy, however staying would have meant compromising what I believe in. This is about principles not politics.
Motorsport deserves a leadership rooted in integrity, accontability and respect for process. That’s the minimum standard we should all expect, and demand.
Now, as this is my blog and not a formal publication, it is safe for me to say that the statement from Reid is truly damning, especially in the last paragraph.
We are in an era of motorsport where the world’s two biggest sporting series under FIA jurisdiction are actively making statements against them, the Motorsport UK Chair is threatening legal action against the FIA and now, the FIA Deputy Principal has resigned because he believes there is no longer integrity and accountability within the organisation… what else will it take for change to be made? At what point do we ask whether Mohamed Ben Sulayem is fit to be President of the FIA?
An election for the FIA President role is due later this year, and as I have previously stated, I cannot see how Ben Sulayem could have an effective campaign, all things considered. However, as of writing this post, no one has announced that they will be campaigning against Ben Sulayem in the election.
It is hard to see a way out for the FIA without significant change. Yet, it is clear from the multiple insider statements that we have now that there is very little to be done to hold the sitting FIA President accountable.
With all of this in mind, what the FIA is going to happen next?
