The reorganization of the FIA governance approved

Changes to the FIA statutes were adopted during the General Assembly in Rwanda, modifying the roles of the ethics and audit committees, the governing body of motorsport.

According to the new plans, the responsibilities of the compliance officer will be transferred to the president of the FIA and the president of its Senate. The audit committee will also lose its power to independently investigate financial matters, now being required to do so only « upon the request of the president of the Senate ».

The FIA has put forward three main reasons for justifying these revisions, notably to prevent leaks to the media. A statement regarding the changes made to the ethics committee explains: « The ethics committee, which previously reported only to the president, now also reports to the president of the Senate. The committee now has the power to independently assess whether an investigation should be initiated. »

**The reduction of report distribution**: « Due to repeated leaks of confidential documents, including ethics committee reports, it is proposed to limit their distribution. This will help protect complainants and individuals involved. »

**Privacy Protection**: « Reports often contain sensitive information, including criminal or protection-related details, so the automatic distribution of these documents will be limited. »

The audit committee clarifies its role

Regarding the audit committee, the FIA specifies that its role is now defined as that of an advisory body to the senate.

« The amendments aim to clarify that the audit committee supports the senate and that its internal regulations will now be approved by the latter, » details the statement.

« The audit committee retains its advisory and investigative powers, but only at the request of the president of the senate. »

These proposals have sparked criticisms from several senior members of F1 teams, who have expressed their concerns. David Richards, the UK representative on the World Motor Sport Council, as well as Oliver Schmerold, president of the Austrian motorsport federation, have both denounced these changes that prevent holding the FIA leadership accountable in case of poor governance.

An improvement in the FIA’s financial situation

In parallel, the FIA announced a significant financial turnaround. It forecasts an operating result of 2.2 million euros in 2024, compared to a deficit of 24 million euros in 2021.

The president of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, stated: « This success stems from our commitment to reforms in governance and finance. The new FIA leadership inherited an unsustainable financial situation in 2022. We worked hard to reduce a significant deficit and stabilize the overall financial health of the federation. We implemented cost-cutting measures and revenue-generating strategies to place the FIA on a more sustainable financial footing, to better support our member clubs. »