The final year of Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s term is shaping up to be more turbulent than ever. With elections scheduled for 2025, the current president’s work is extremely complex, with many accusing him of having failed conspicuously. Among them are some British media outlets, who are formalizing an accusation against Mohammed Ben Sulayem that could result in legal action, worsening the FIA crisis.
The straw that broke the camel’s back may be linked to the last WMSC meeting, where key members were excluded. Additionally, many media outlets have complained about his failure to fulfill electoral promises. David Richards, president of Motorsport UK, has announced the possibility of legal action against the FIA, denouncing an alleged “gag order” imposed on members to limit transparency in internal discussions.
Richards and other officials, including Vice President for Sport Robert Reid, were excluded from the WMSC because they had not signed a new confidentiality agreement. In a letter addressed to Motorsport UK members, Richards expressed his dissatisfaction with the FIA’s management under Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s leadership.
Before his term, David Richards supported Sulayem in the 2021 elections because he had promised to be a non-interventionist president. Furthermore, the current president had stated that management would be delegated to a competent CEO and that governance would be transparent. However, David Richards declared the following:
“I regret to say that over the past three years, there has been a clear failure to uphold these promises. The situation has even worsened. There are numerous media reports confirming that many senior FIA officials and volunteers have been dismissed or have resigned under unclear circumstances.”
He also denounced the restriction of autonomy for the Audit and Ethics Committees and the use of electronic voting to avoid in-depth discussions within the World Motor Sport Council. “Our British representative,” David Richards continued, “who had raised some issues, was removed along with the president of the Audit Committee. Several strategies have been adopted to limit the normal functioning of the World Motor Sport Council, particularly the use of electronic voting, which prevents essential discussions and debates on key issues.”
The threat of legal action against the FIA and Mohammed Ben Sulayem
“Very disappointing,” Richards admitted, “to have to report that we have yet to receive a response to these questions, nor to the fundamental one I raised. Where in the FIA Statutes is it stated that an elected member can be excluded from a meeting?”
With strong words and almost a combative tone, David Richards has demanded that the FIA be held accountable for its actions. This is a crucial task, as the election of a new president will take place this year.
“We have informed the FIA that if it does not respond to the issues we have raised, we will proceed with further legal action. This year, the FIA president will either be re-elected or replaced. Now more than ever, it is important to remind the FIA of its responsibilities and to continue demanding transparency and fairness on behalf of the sport and its members worldwide. This is what I intend to do.”
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