P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Motorsport UK Chairman Dave Richards was among officials barred by F1’s governing body, the FIA, from a recent meeting of the world motor sport council over refusal to sign an NDA.
The FIA’s deputy president Robert Reid was excluded from the meeting, which agreed on a two-stop mandate for this year’s Monaco Grand Prix. The NDA of the FIA prohibits discussions on governing body matters outside official meetings due to concerns about leaks to the media by president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Ben Sulayem criticized the British media for bias against him, while figures like Richards criticized him for limiting powers to the audit and ethics committee. Richards expressed concern that major organizations worldwide might refuse to collaborate with the FIA if it did not reflect high corporate governance standards. Tensions exist between the FIA president and the F1 driving community over his clampdown on swearing, which he deems “none of their business.” This clampdown has faced criticism in the World Rally Championship, leading athletes to form a collective body in response to fines issued, causing legal disputes over the NDA refusal. The FIA faces challenges ahead of Ben Sulayem’s re-election campaign as president later this year, and a statement highlighted the importance of safeguarding confidentiality to maintain regulatory interests and support motorsport growth.
