Ben Sulayem’s controversial measures passed by 83% of votes cast
Despite opposition from Austria and several other member countries, the statutory changes proposed by Mohammed Ben Sulayem were widely approved in Macau on Thursday. The changes, which strengthen the powers of the FIA President just months before his re-election, were adopted by over 83% of votes cast at the General Assembly.
The statutory modifications proposed by Mohammed Ben Sulayem were approved on Thursday during the FIA General Assembly in Macau, despite last-minute opposition led by Austria. According to BBC F1, the amendments to the statutes received 83.35% of the votes, while the changes to the code of ethics were adopted by 88.83% of the members.
This large majority is a clear political success for the FIA president, who is seeking a second term in the election scheduled for December. The changes, revealed last month by the British media, had nonetheless sparked strong criticism from several member clubs, who saw it as a concentration of power in the hands of the outgoing president.
Austria denounces a dark period
The OAMTC, the Austrian automobile club and a founding member of the FIA, tried until the end to have the vote postponed. In a letter sent Wednesday to the World Council for Automobile, Mobility, and Tourism (WCAMT), the Austrian organization denounced a dark period of democratic backsliding within the FIA.
« These changes are likely to further contribute to the erosion of the FIA’s reputation for competent and transparent governance », wrote the OAMTC in its letter. The Austrian club had the support of the United Kingdom, Belgium, Portugal, and Switzerland to request a postponement of the vote to allow « a proper review and analysis » of the proposed changes.
Oliver Schmerold, CEO of the OAMTC, explained after the vote: « We proposed to postpone the vote on the changes to a future assembly because we believe they have consequences that require more discussion. This was supported by several other members. The president emphasized that the statutory process had been followed and called for the vote. »
Changes that strengthen presidential power
The adopted modifications include several measures that increase the president’s influence over the FIA’s control institutions. The advancement of the deadline for presidential candidacies, officially justified to give the nominations committee more time to assess candidates’ eligibility, is perceived by its critics as a way to discourage opposition.
The removal of the obligation to have 21 different nationalities among the 28 members of the World Motor Sport Council will now allow the president to fill the WMSC with supporters rather than encouraging diversity of opinion, according to the terms of the Austrian letter.
The alignment of the terms of the audit, ethics, and nomination committees with that of the president « would blatantly reduce the independence of the oversight bodies », the document continues. The amendment that removes the Senate’s right to approve or reject up to four of its members and gives it to the president « clearly weakens the Senate’s ability to exercise its oversight functions, including and especially overseeing the president himself ».
Limited opposition despite criticism
For several months now, internal tensions have been plaguing the FIA. Last March, David Richards, representing Motorsport UK on the World Council, and FIA Vice President for Sport, Robert Reid, were excluded from a meeting following a dispute with Ben Sulayem regarding the refusal to sign a revised confidentiality agreement. Richards had then threatened to take legal action against the FIA, denouncing an erosion of accountability under the presidency of the Emirati leader and a failure to uphold commitments to transparency.
The following month, Reid abruptly resigned from his position, citing a fundamental breach of governance standards within the world governing body of motorsport, accusing the current leadership of making unilateral and opaque decisions.
The OAMTC also mentions the possibility of legal action, claiming that the changes were approved by world council meetings that were not properly constituted, intentionally excluding elected members from participating and voting.
Despite these criticisms, the large majority obtained by Ben Sulayem demonstrates the support he has within the global organization. Carlos Sainz Sr., who had mentioned a possible candidacy, has not yet made a definitive decision, and no other contenders have come forward, leaving the outgoing president as the sole candidate for the December election.
A governance called into question
As with their British counterpart, the Austrian letter delivers a harsh assessment of Ben Sulayem’s three-year term, accusing the president of having reneged on his 2021 campaign promises regarding governance structures in line with best practices. The OAMTC also criticizes the president for not implementing any of the critical changes recommended by the governance audit commissioned from McKinsey in 2022.
The criticisms focus in particular on the limitation of the power of the ethics committee, with ethical investigations potentially being eliminated due to the concentration of oversight in the hands of the FIA president and the president of the Senate. The elimination of the compliance officer position following the dismissal of Paolo Basarri last year is also highlighted.
A spokesperson for the FIA responded that the organization has taken steps since 2021 to strengthen its corporate governance policies and that the proposed amendments to the FIA statutes are designed to further reinforce processes around governance and confidentiality.
Ben Sulayem’s victory in Macau thus strengthens his position ahead of the December election, but criticisms of his governance continue to resonate among some FIA members.