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Daily Tribune
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Tribune
Statute Stand-Off, Governance Under Fire
TDT | Manama Austria's OAMTC calls on FIA members to reject changes seen as consolidating presidential power Tensions Rise Ahead of FIA General Assembly As the FIA General Assembly prepares to meet in Macau on Thursday, discontent is mounting from within the organisation. The Austrian Automobile Association (OAMTC) has urged fellow members to reject proposed statute amendments it fears could erode transparency and limit the democratic integrity of the motorsport governing body. In a letter dated June 10 and circulated to members of the FIA's mobility division, the OAMTC challenged the urgency and intent behind eight proposed amendments, questioning whether they serve the federation or merely fortify the position of incumbent president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who is seeking re-election in December. Governance in the Spotlight The OAMTC's message was unequivocal: postpone the vote and reassess the proposed changes in a more neutral setting. 'There is no urgency regarding these proposed changes,' the letter stated, warning that pushing them through now would only deepen concerns about the FIA's governance standards. 'It cannot be – and is not – a coincidence,' the letter continued, that the revisions 'relevant to the FIA's elections' are being put forward just as Ben Sulayem prepares for another term. The reforms are seen by some as potentially deterring challengers in the upcoming presidential election, for which no formal rival has yet emerged. A Divisive Presidency Ben Sulayem, who became FIA president in 2021, has faced criticism throughout his tenure — from clashes with drivers to a wave of internal dissent. His presidency has been marred by high-profile resignations, including that of Robert Reid, a former deputy president and long-time ally, who stepped down in April citing a 'fundamental breakdown in governance standards.' The reforms proposed in December last year — which curtailed the powers of key oversight bodies such as the audit and ethics committees — were also met with resistance, notably from Motorsport UK chair David Richards. The current set of amendments, the OAMTC argues, follow a similar pattern, raising 'issues of fairness and consistency.' A Divided Membership Despite the backlash, Ben Sulayem has remained confident in his leadership. 'I only have to answer to my members. And they are happy. Actually, they are very happy,' he said in a recent interview with Reuters. Yet not all appear to share that view. The Austrian federation's intervention suggests a growing concern among at least part of the FIA's global network, particularly over the appearance of centralised control and reduced institutional checks. A spokesperson for the FIA in London confirmed that Thursday's vote remains on the agenda, though no official response to the OAMTC letter had been issued at time of writing. What's at Stake With South America's motorsport associations, European mobility clubs, and other regional members often taking different stances on governance matters, the upcoming vote in Macau could prove pivotal. A rejection of the changes would signal strong internal resistance and could embolden a potential challenger to Ben Sulayem's leadership. But if the amendments are approved, critics fear it will cement a trend of consolidating power at the top of an organisation increasingly viewed as opaque. Whether Thursday's meeting turns into a procedural formality or a flashpoint for reform remains to be seen. Either way, the credibility of the FIA's governance model — and the balance of power within it — is once again under the spotlight.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
FIA president proposes changes to governing body
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is proposing changes to the statutes of motorsport's governing body that appear to further extend his Sport has seen a confidential document containing the proposed revisions, which are set to be voted on at a meeting of the FIA General Assembly next bring forward the deadline for candidates for December's presidential election, give Ben Sulayem the possibility to bar any candidate from running against him and allow him more control over the membership of the FIA critic was prepared to comment on the record about the changes, as many are bound by non-disclosure one said: "Most proposals aim at some sort of consolidation of power, more centralised control and trying to eliminate independent checks and balances."Another said the document containing the proposals was "very cleverly written"."It's taking a very moral high ground," they said. "Or it's appearing to. Whereas the reality of it is probably less so."Ben Sulayem was criticised last December for statute changes that were labelled a "worrisome concentration of power" by one of its member clubs. Questions of integrity The most controversial proposal is one that dictates there "must not be anything in the record of the candidates standing for the election as members of the presidential list that calls into question their professional integrity".According to the document of proposed statutes, the reason for adding this is that such an eligibility criterion is currently absent from the FIA statutes and internal says that this should be in the requirements for a presidential campaign "for the sake of consistency" because it already applies to candidates standing for a number of other FIA bodies, such as the F1 cost-cap committee, and audit and ethics the list of presidential candidates and their teams, which are strictly defined, is monitored by the FIA's nominations it finds any ethical issues with a list, it would refer the matter to the FIA's ethics bodies are controlled by the FIA president and his allies, following changes to the statutes made by Ben Sulayem last combination with the FIA's code of ethics, this could appear targeted at Carlos Sainz, the rally legend who has already declared his interest in running for president in code of ethics dictates that parties of the FIA "shall avoid any conflicts of interest and must disclose any situation that could lead to such a conflict".Sainz is the father of Ferrari Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz, so it would in theory be easy for the ethics committee - should it be so minded - to declare that he has a conflict of interest that bars him from running for election. Changes to senate composition Ben Sulayem has also proposed changes to the nomination of members of the senate, the body that controls the FIA in combination with the senate consists of 16 members, 12 of which are defined in the statutes as representatives of the president, his team and members of the two world councils, for sport and mobility and final four are currently "proposed" by the president and "confirmed by" the other 12 members of the Sulayem is proposing that the president should "appoint" these final members, with no oversight from the other senate reason given for proposing this change is to allow "more flexibility in having the expertise required for the many and varied topics it has to deal with and which may require an urgent decision".However, the FIA statutes already contain article 18.4, which appears to cover this. It allows the senate to "invite other members to join in the study of specific questions".One source close to the situation said this was "so clearly poorer governance that the boldness is surprising".Another said: "It's a convenient way of dressing up a way where 'I can potentially get rid of these people when it suits me.'" Changes to ethics and other committees Another change proposes that the four-year term of office of the members of the audit, ethics and nominations committees be brought into line with that of the the document states, these terms "do not necessarily start at the same time as that of the members of the presidential list".The reason given for this change is "to ensure consistency between terms of office and group these elections together".However, critics says that while this "seems efficient", it also gives "fewer options for dissent outside of a presidential cycle".Last year, Ben Sulayem sacked the heads of the audit and ethics committees after they were involved in investigations into him and his office. Changes to world council Ben Sulayem is also proposing to make a change to the composition of the world motorsport council, the organisation's legislative rules says that 21 of the 28 members must be of different Sulayem is proposing, in the interests of "flexibility", that there be "no more than two members of the same nationality among the seven vice-presidents and the 14 elected WMSC members".The document states this could deprive the FIA of "candidates from other backgrounds whose experience and qualities could also be beneficial to the WMSC in fulfilling its missions".A critic says this increases Ben Sulayem's ability to "stack the WMSC with the people he wants". Election timing The proposals also bring forward the deadline for candidates to declare their teams for the presidential election, from 21 days prior to the election to 49 reason given is that the current time limit "leaves the nominations committee with very little time to check the eligibility of the 11 candidates (for a presidential team) proposed in a given list".Critics say it could give the president longer to have the nominations committee look at reasons to bar candidates and members of their are required by FIA rules to submit their chosen president of the senate, deputy presidents for sport and mobility and seven vice-presidents for sport from all the FIA's positions must be filled before a campaign for a candidate to be allowed into the election.
BBC News
10-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
FIA executive Reid resigns over 'standards breakdown'
Robert Reid, deputy president for sport at the FIA, has resigned over what he describes as "a fundamental breakdown in governance standards within motorsport's global governing body".The Scot was a key member of FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem's leadership team when the Emirati was elected in 2021 but the pair have since fallen out amid a series of controversies surrounding the FIA said in a statement that he was experiencing "growing alarm over critical decisions being made without due process or proper consultation"."When I took on this role, it was to serve the FIA's members, not to serve power," Reid said. "Over time, I have witnessed a steady erosion of the principles we promised to uphold."Decisions are being made behind closed doors, bypassing the very structures and people the FIA exists to present."Reid's resignation follows changes to the FIA statutes at the last FIA General Assembly that opponents have described as "a worrisome concentration of power" and a reduction in move also comes after MotorsportUK chairman David Richards wrote an open letter to the organisation's members accusing the FIA of a "shift of moral compass".
