Latest news with #motorSport
Khaleej Times
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Khaleej Times
Emirati icon Ben Sulayem guides FIA to financial turnaround
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, announced a pivotal turnaround in its financial health under the leadership of FIA President and Emirati motor sport legend Mohammed Ben Sulayem. At the end of the fiscal year 2024, the Fédération reported that is has achieved a robust operating result of €4.7m, and an operating income of € 182.0m. This takes it from a considerable financial loss of €-24.0m in 2021, before Ben Sulayem was elected. In line with Ben Sulayem's manifesto pledge, and under the FIA's new leadership since 2021, the organisation has undergone a comprehensive strategic transformation process, designed to radically improve internal systems and processes. It has strengthened its teams, optimised its working practices and shifted to a more efficient and financially sustainable model. Today's result, which will be published in full in the FIA's 2024 Activity Report in June, reflects this positive transition. 'Upon my election as President of the FIA, I committed to ensuring a profitable operation,' said Ben Sulayem, who won 14 Middle East Rally Championship titles in his career. 'Today, I am incredibly proud to show that we have achieved this mission, delivering the strongest set of financial results in eight years. 'Improving the governance, transparency and financial health of the FIA was central to my manifesto pledge, and I will continue to work with all of our internal and external stakeholders to drive positive change within the FIA, to deliver better outcomes for our Member Clubs, our people and for all.' The FIA, which is a not-for-profit organisation, is well-placed to continue pushing forward its core objectives such as strengthening grassroots participation in motor sport and driving the sustainability agenda across the board.
Arab News
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Arab News
Ben Sulayem drives major improvements to FIA's international Sporting Code
DUBAI: The Federation Internationale de l'Automobile, the global governing body for motor sport and the federation for mobility organizations worldwide, has announced that it is to make major improvements to Appendix B of its International Sporting Code following an extensive review commissioned by FIA's President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The latest version of Appendix B of the ISC was introduced in January 2025, aligning the FIA with other global sporting organizations such as FIFA, the National Football League, and World Rugby, all of which have strong codes of conduct to protect the integrity of their respective sports. Sulayem said: 'As a former rally driver I know firsthand the range of emotions that are faced during competition. I have led an extensive and collaborative review with contributions from across the seven FIA world championships, FIA member clubs and other motor sports organizations. 'The improvements the FIA has announced today to Appendix B will ensure we continue to promote the best of sportsmanship in motor sport, while also giving stewards effective guidelines to act against individuals who may bring the sport into disrepute. The FIA will always be committed to ensuring motor sport is accessible for all our sporting family.' The ISC provides the stewards with the necessary regulatory tools to ensure they have all relevant information regarding the range of penalties that may be imposed and the procedures to be followed. This enables them to apply penalties in a consistent and transparent manner. The review was carried out in collaboration with the FIA Drivers' Committee and Ronan Morgan, its president, as well as the FIA Formula One steward chairs. Input was also received from FIA members clubs and other motor sport organizations across the seven FIA world championships. The main changes to Appendix B are: The base maximum penalty has been reduced generally from €10,000 to €5,000. This is a reduction of 50 percent. However, for FIA world championships, where multipliers are involved, the reductions will be even more significant. Stewards will have the option to fully suspend a penalty for certain types of breach, provided it is the first offense by the driver or team. Following approval via e-vote by the WMSC (World Motor Sport Council), the amended Appendix B will allow stewards to differentiate between controlled and non-controlled environments, effectively recognizing the difference between language used in 'uncontrolled' and 'controlled' environments. Controlled environments include settings such as press conferences, while uncontrolled environments refer to spontaneous comments made by drivers or teams when on track or during a rally stage. Mitigating circumstances will continue to be considered, with additional guidance available to promote consistency and fairness for all parties in the application of Appendix B. Abuse of officials will now result in sporting penalties rather than fines, aligning motor sport with other major global sports organizations. Racial and discriminatory comments will continue to be addressed firmly. Stewards will retain the supreme authority to decide which penalty to impose in the event of a breach of the ISC. Morgan said: 'Drivers are looked up to as role models by young fans and are rightly seen as ambassadors for the wider world of motor sport. How they act really does matter, but it is important to recognize that there is a difference between what is said during a race and in a press conference. 'Today's changes further strengthen the FIA's International Sporting Code, supporting our drivers by understanding the pressures they face during the heat of competition.'
