FIA Announces Appointment of Shaila-Ann Rao as Advisor to the FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem
PARIS & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, has today announced that FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem has appointed Shaila-Ann Rao as a Presidential Advisor.
Ms Rao will provide advice to the FIA President on a range of issues including regulatory and commercial matters related to the seven FIA World Championships. She will commence her role on 1 st May 2025.
Ms Rao is a dual qualified lawyer, being both an English Solicitor and a French Lawyer admitted to the Paris Bar, and has significant experience in global motor sport having previous served as the Interim FIA Secretary General for Motor Sport and as FIA Legal Director. She has also worked as General Counsel for the Mercedes F1 Team and as Special Advisor to its CEO & Team Principal, Toto Wolff.
Ms Rao's appointment comes at a pivotal time for the FIA, as the Federation continues its successful organisational transformation and financial reform, reflected in forecasted 2024 operation results of € 2.2m in contrast to the -€ 24m that was inherited in 2021.
FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, said
'I am delighted to welcome back Shaila-Ann Rao to the FIA. She has an exceptional record in global motor sport and will be a great asset to me and my team as we continue to improve the regulatory and commercial frameworks across all the FIA World Championships benefiting our drivers, teams and FIA Member Clubs. She will also advise me on matters related to all the FIA World Championship promoters.'
Shaila-Ann Rao, Advisor to the FIA President said:
'I am looking forward to advising the FIA President across the FIA World Championships and building on the significant progress that has already been made during his Presidential term strengthening the Championships' regulatory and commercial frameworks. The FIA holds a unique place in global sport, and I am excited to support the FIA at this time and to help the FIA President deliver an even stronger future for motor sport.'
ENDS
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) is the governing body for world motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations globally. It is a non-profit organisation committed to driving innovation and championing safety, sustainability and equality across motor sport and mobility.
Founded in 1904, with offices in Paris, London and Geneva, the FIA brings together 245 Member Organisations across five continents, representing millions of road users, motor sport professionals and volunteers. It develops and enforces regulations for motor sport, including seven FIA World Championships, to ensure worldwide competitions are safe and fair for all.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
🤔 Did it work? Club World Cup players make NBA-style entrance, watch 🎥
FIFA is implementing a new feature for the players' entrance onto the field in the Club World Cup matches. In the style of the NBA, the athletes are announced in the stadium and called onto the field one by one. Advertisement This presentation format was already put into practice in the opening match of the tournament, between Inter Miami and Al Ahly. The last to step onto the pitch was Lionel Messi, who was cheered on by the stands of the Hard Rock Stadium. Watch: The MetLife Stadium, the stadium that hosts Palmeiras' debut in the World Cup this Sunday, has also tested the novelty, with the names of Verdão's players being announced. See below: This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here. 📸 ROBERTO SCHMIDT - AFP or licensors
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Tyrrell Hatton cool but Matt Fitzpatrick rages as Sam Burns keeps US Open lead
If a quiz question was to ask which English golfer a) lacerated the setup at the US Open, as another b) fired himself into contention before offering a much calmer assessment, the answers from the vast majority of observers would be obvious: a) Tyrrell Hatton, b) Matt Fitzpatrick. The reality at Oakmont was the complete opposite. First to Fitzpatrick. The 2022 champion finds himself unimpressed by this golfing brute, as he was happy to declare after a third round of 72 left him nine over par. 'I personally don't think it's fair,' said the Yorkshireman. 'I think there's hard that's fair and there's just straight unfair. And I just think that this falls into that [second] category, really. I just don't think it necessarily rewards good shots and I think it penalises bad shots too harshly. You can be more penalised for hitting a shot one yard off the fairway, six inches off the fairway, than you can 40 yards off the fairway. And obviously, when you've got the greens as extreme as these, it amplifies any miss. Advertisement 'I get that it's the same for everyone and you have got hit good shots. Obviously, it always sounds like sour grapes when a player complains. I am a huge fan of the USGA [the organising US Golf Association], I've played 11 US Opens now, I think, and I feel like I've experienced what is hard and fair and what is hard and unfair over the course of my career now. I just feel like this falls into that category of unfair.' Related: US Open golf 2025: Sam Burns keeps hold of lead at Oakmont – as it happened Xander Schauffele had remarked in the week that television viewers relish the finest golfers in the world shooting eight over par. 'I completely agree with that,' said Fitzpatrick. 'I love that. I think that's what makes it interesting from a normal week shooting 25 under. I just feel like there's a line that could be very dangerous. I'm all for an over-par winning score and I am first to say that I love that, but I think when you do have three guys under par after two rounds, I think that kind of tells you a lot about what the golf course is doing. It is a tough golf course but I think I don't necessarily feel like it needed to be made more extreme than it is.' This was out-Hattoning Hatton. In previous times, Hatton has lambasted Augusta National and called for an unremarkable hole in Abu Dhabi to be 'blown up'. Ranting, raving and gesticulating are Hatton specialities. All, it has to be said, while producing some exceptional golf. Advertisement In Pennsylvania, Hatton finds himself just five from the lead after a fine 68 moved him to one over par. Hatton's only trouble came at the 15th, where he found what is dubious territory in thick rough of the bank of a bunker. 'I don't see the need to have so much rough in the side slopes of the bunkers,' he said later. Beyond that, Hatton was a picture of contentment as he pursues a potentially life-changing maiden major win. 'That's how they've set it up this year, and it doesn't matter if I don't agree with it or every player in the field doesn't agree with it,' he added. 'Everyone has to deal with it. It's just how it is. Today was great.' A smiling, chipper Hatton headed off for his dinner. This scrappy, slow-burner of a major is headed by Sam Burns with 18 holes to play. The 28-year-old's 69 edged him one ahead of his American compatriot JJ Spaun, who dropped at shot at the last. Spaun had Adam Scott for company at minus three. The Australian played the back nine in just 32 as he seeks a second major title, at the age of 44. He could become the second oldest US Open winner in history. Scott is the only member of the top 10 to have already won one of golf's big four. That it is a solitary success means Scott is an underachiever, in the nicest possible sense. Like Spaun, the Norwegian Viktor Hovland erred at the 18th to slide back to one under. Mexico's Carlos Ortiz is even par. The Scot Robert MacIntyre is not without hope at plus three. Scottie Scheffler is a shot further adrift after a 70. The American world No 1 dismissed footage which showed him in excited conversation with his longtime coach, Randy Smith, after round two. 'In terms of a practice session after the round, that was pretty regular,' Scheffler said. 'We're just trying to figure stuff out, out there.'
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Racing Bulls F1 Driver Slapped With 3-Place Grid Penalty For Canadian GP
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Racing Bulls Formula One driver Isack Hadjar has been hit with a three-place grid penalty for the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix. After qualifying in ninth position, the French-Algerian driver will now start the race from 12th on the grid. During the qualifying session at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Hadjar was informed Williams' Carlos Sainz was behind him but had aborted his lap. However, as the Spanish driver stormed past him, he realised he had impeded Sainz's flying lap. As expected, Hadjar has been penalised for the move despite it seemingly being a communication error from within the team. While speaking to the media after the race, Hadjar was visibly down about the situation. Isack Hadjar of France and Visa Cash App RB speaks to Sky Sports in the media pen during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on June 14, 2025 in... Isack Hadjar of France and Visa Cash App RB speaks to Sky Sports in the media pen during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on June 14, 2025 in Montreal, Canada. More"I never impede anyone, not even in practice," said Hadjar, "I got told Carlos had aborted his lap, and in fact he was still pushing. So, complete miscommunication from what I got told. It's a shame, it ruins his qualifying and probably a bit mine." Sainz, who will start the race in 17th, fumed to the media, stating: "Well, I don't care if I was fast. If in Q1 you arrive and there's a guy in the middle of the road that completely blows your qualifying away and that means that your weekend is destroyed. "I'm in P17 when I should be fighting for Q3 and top eight today, so I'm extremely disappointed. I saw him already in turn three to four, I was surprised he didn't get out of the way in three to four. I already lost a tenth or two with a dirty air, but I was like, 'okay, he's just playing the game of giving me dirty air.' "That's not impeding, but he's giving me dirty air of a tenth just to try, maybe he was on the cut and trying to give me dirty air on purpose. And then I realised going into Turn 5, he's not getting out of the way, I have to lift and I have to overtake him in the inside of six. Like if it's a race, obviously with a bad angle into six and seven. "I lost another two or three tenths there, so three or four tenths just in that lap, which is anyway a lap that is 20 milliseconds from Q2. That was the margin we had today. So, it's honestly very frustrating, but it's what it is." Why was Isack Hadjar penalised in Canada? The FIA released the following statement to explain why Hadjar was handed the three-place grid penalty for the Canadian Grand Prix. "Impeding Car 55 in turn 6. (Breach of Article 37.5 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations. "Drop of 3 grid positions for the next Race in which the driver participates. "The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 6 (Isack Hadjar), the driver of Car 55 (Carlos Sainz), team representatives and reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, timing, team radio and in-car video evidence. "Car 6 was on an in-lap and was caught by Car 55, on a push lap, at the entry to turn 6. Although Car 6 attempted to move off the racing line to leave space for Car 55, the move was too late. The driver of Car 6 agreed that Car 55 was impeded. He explained that he had earlier been told by his team that Car 55 was approaching on a push lap but the team then told him that Car 55 had abandoned the lap. He said that although he saw Car 55 in his mirrors, he relied upon what he had been told by his team and when he realised the information was wrong he did his best to move out of the way. "The standard penalty for this infringement during Qualifying in the Penalty Guidelines is a 3 grid position penalty regardless of whether the incident was the fault of the driver or the team."
