What's the function of President of the FIA and what do they do?

Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been re-elected as president of the FIA, which means he’s set to proceed within the function for not less than one other 4 years after beginning in 2021.

The 64-year-old is the twelfth particular person to steer the governing physique, however he has carried out so with a lot controversy, particularly as he was re-elected with no opposition in the course of the official course of.

However there’s nonetheless a whole lot of assist for Ben Sulayem from sure FIA member golf equipment, so what does he do and what’s the historical past of the function?

What does the President of the FIA do?

The FIA president is the exterior face of motor racing’s governing physique, who leads the organisation and oversees any adjustments it makes to the championships below its umbrella.

To change into the FIA president, one should run for an election which is held each 4 years the place FIA Member Golf equipment are eligible to vote. These golf equipment span throughout six continents, together with the likes of the Royal Vehicle Membership in London, the Australian Vehicle Affiliation in Canberra or the Canadian Vehicle Affiliation in Ottawa who all vote relying on which manifesto it likes probably the most.

An FIA president is restricted to a few phrases which means they’ll serve for a most of 12 years, subsequently Ben Sulayem can run for election once more in 2029.

Mohammed ben Sulayem, FIA President

Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos

As soon as elected, the president is in control of operating the FIA and has a giant say on no matter adjustments are made, for instance to the F1 race director.

In a shock announcement in November 2024, the FIA confirmed Niels Wittich had left the function with rapid impact wherein it was understood that he was sacked amid a falling out with the president.

Wittich was changed by the Method 2 race director Rui Marques at the same time it was introduced the FIA had launched a brand new Officers Division to begin a manufacturing line of educated race officers – headed by Ben Sulayem.

So the president is in control of numerous initiatives run by the FIA to assist develop motor racing. Extra of those initiatives embody aiming to be Web Zero by 2030, introducing sustainable fuels to F1 for 2026 and even partnering with Cranfield College to award the Motorsport Engineering Scholarship to any individual with aspirations of a profession throughout the trade. The tasks are subsequently at various ranges of the motorsport pyramid.

The president should additionally undertake huge public work. On an F1 weekend, for instance, Ben Sulayem is recurrently in parc ferme after monitor periods and on the rostrum presenting the winner’s medal to the motive force on the highest step or strolling down the pre-race grid networking with contacts.

Additionally it is Ben Sulayem’s job to host the FIA Prize Giving ceremony, which on the finish of every 12 months honours all of the newly topped champions of the completely different FIA sequence, the place the president delivers a speech and takes images with these receiving trophies.

Is the FIA President employed by F1?

F1 doesn’t make use of the FIA president, as a result of the championship is definitely sanctioned by the organisation which means it has no say on who the president is or what they do.

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President, FIA

Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photos

What different sequence does the FIA President cowl?

The FIA president is concerned in any motorsport sequence that’s regulated by the organisation, from F1 all the way in which right down to karting.

There are at the moment over 50 sequence which can be run by the FIA, seven of that are thought of to be world championships: F1, Method E, World Rally Championship, World Endurance Championship, World Rallycross Championship, World Rally-Raid Championship and the World Karting Championship.

So the FIA president may have an involvement in any a kind of sequence and should in the end have the ultimate say on selections made concerning that respective championship.

How a lot does the President of the FIA receives a commission?

The FIA president doesn’t have a wage as a result of the governing physique is a non-profit organisation, which generates income by means of entry charges and tremendous licence charges from the groups that compete inside its championships.

Why was the FIA presidential election controversial?

Ben Sulayem was elected in 2021 with 61.62% of the votes in comparison with 36.62% for opponent Graham Stoker, however this time round he ran unopposed. That was as a result of numerous technicalities with the method as a result of, initially, there have been a number of events in operating for president.

The primary was double world rally champion Carlos Sainz Sr, who introduced he was contemplating operating solely to finally choose in opposition to it. Then there was former steward Tim Mayer, plus Swiss racer Laura Villars and Belgian journalist Virginie Philippot throwing their names into the hat, nonetheless all had been unable to formally stand.

Tim Mayer

Photograph by: Clive Mason/Getty Photos

That’s as a result of to take action, a candidate should put collectively a workforce of seven vice-presidents from the FIA’s six world areas with two coming from Europe. South America, nonetheless, solely had one potential choice which was Fabiana Ecclestone, spouse of Bernie, who had already pledged her assist for Ben Sulayem.

It is arguably no shock that all of it led to that end result although, as a result of in April Robert Reid stepped down as FIA’s deputy president for sport. He cited a “breakdown of governance requirements” and “essential selections being made with out due course of” as the explanations for his departure.

Previous FIA Presidents

President

Years in place

Mohammed Ben Sulayem

2021 – current

Jean Todt

2009 – 2021

Max Mosley

1993 – 2009

Jean-Marie Balestre

1985 – 1993

Paul Alfons Furst Von Metternich-Winneburg