The FIA General Assembly has approved amendments to the governing body’s statutes and ethics code, viewed as a win for President Mohamed Ben Sulayem but criticized for lowering governance standards. These changes include deadlines for presidential candidates, increased president’s influence on FIA Senate, and aligning committees’ terms with the president’s term. Ethics code revisions include provisions to block candidates with integrity questions.
The amendments were passed with an 83.35% majority for statutes and 88.83% for ethics code changes, aiming to enhance corporate governance policies and electoral process rigour. Ben Sulayem’s consolidation of power through these changes is met with concerns over governance and accountability by critics like Motorsport UK chairman David Richards.
Criticism has led to high-level resignations and opposition from groups like Austria’s OAMTC, warning against further erosion of FIA’s governance reputation. The upcoming re-election in December will test the impact of these controversial changes on Ben Sulayem’s presidency and the FIA’s future direction.
