FIA executive Robert Reid resigns over ‘breakdown in standards’
The FIA’s deputy president for sport released a pointed statement on Thursday
The FIA deputy president for sport Robert Reid has resigned due to what he describes as a “fundamental breakdown in governance standards” at the governing body for world motorsport.
Scottish executive Reid was appointed in 2021 when current FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem was elected, but their pair have “fallen out” in recent years” – as reported by the BBC.
Reid said he has seen a “steady erosion of the principles we promised to uphold” with “decisions being made behind closed doors, bypassing the very structures and people the FIA exists to present.”
Ben Sulayem has come under increasing scrutiny in the past few years, following various controversies including the FIA’s swearing rules earlier this year.
In a statement on X, Reid said: “I took on this role to help deliver greater transparency, stronger governance, and more collaborative leadership.
“Over time, those principles have been increasingly set aside and I can no longer, in good faith, remain part of a system that no longer reflects them.
“Stepping away was not easy, however staying would have meant compromising what I believe in. This is about principles, not politics.
“Motorsport deserves leadership rooted in integrity, accountability, and respect for process. That’s the minimum standard and we should all expect, and demand.”
Reid is the latest figure to depart under the tenure of Ben Sualyem. FIA sporting director Steve Nielsen quit in December 2023, while Deborah Mayer – the former head of the FIA Commission for Women – also left her role.
Tim Goss, the single-seater technical director, left in January 2024 to join RB, while CEO Natalie Robyn left her role after 18 months last May.
Former F1 race director Niels Wittich, who claimed he was sacked after the FIA stated he resigned, was replaced by Rui Marques in the latter weeks of last season. Lead steward Tim Mayer was also sacked by Ben Sulayem in November.
Ben Sulayem, who took over as FIA president from Jean Todt in December 2021, has seen his tenure overshadowed by a number of controversies.
He had to deal with the aftermath of the controversial ending to the 2021 F1 season in Abu Dhabi, with Michael Masi sacked as race director, and he was also embroiled in a row with Lewis Hamilton over jewellery.
More recently, his comments on drivers swearing received an angry response from the grid, who urged the president to treat them like adults.
Ben Sulayem was under fire in February after a rally driver was fined £8,300 (€10,000) for expletive language.
It was the first time a competitor has been punished under the FIA’s new codified set of punishments. The new regulations were labelled as “ridiculous” by a source close to an F1 driver.
Ben Sulayem was not present at the first three F1 races of the season but is expected to attend this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
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