From driver swearing to sacked stewards, here is every scandal the FIA is facing

Mohammed Ben Sulayem is preparing to run for re-election at the head of motorsport’s governing body, the FIA. But the vote comes at a tough time for the organisation after it was rocked by resignations, sackings and raised tensions with drivers.

Ben Sulayem took the helm of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile from Jean Todt following an election in 2021. He’s now preparing his campaign for a second term, but the vote could be clouded by a raft of controversies that have hit the organisation since he took office.

Almost as soon as the former rally driver took to the role, the controversies started. In 2022, a ban on driver jewellery and checks for flameproof underwear rocked F1, and the tensions have only risen in the years since.

Now, to keep track of the biggest issues to hit the FIA in recent months, we’ve rounded up all the scandals that have hit motorsport’s governing body over the past year.

Alleged interference in F1 races

Early in 2024, Ben Sulayem faced an investigation into his management of the FIA, which included allegations that he interfered with the result of certain Formula 1 races.

The FIA president was investigated after a whistleblower accused him of attempting to interfere with the result of the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. It was claimed that Ben Sulayem attempted to have a 10-second time penalty imposed on the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso overturned.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19, leads Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR23

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

The FIA’s ethics committee, supported by external advisors, investigated the allegations over a 30-day period. Following the conclusion of their report, Ben Sulayem was cleared of interfering in races.

FIA governance questioned

In May 2024, the FIA’s first high-profile departure hit when chief executive officer Natalie Robyn left the governing body.

Prior to her departure, Robyn raised questions over the governance of the FIA and its professional practices. The former CEO specifically highlighted issues with regards to the FIA’s finances and the office of its president.

A year after her departure from the role, Robyn spoke out about the questions she raised, saying the organisation faced “serious ongoing structural challenges,” and added that the issues threatened “both the credibility and the long-term effectiveness of an important institution.”

Driver swearing bans begin

The FIA soon sparked the scorn of drivers competing in series it sanctioned when it attempted to clamp down on swearing over team radio and in FIA press conferences.

Red Bull racer Max Verstappen was the first to feel the wrath of the FIA on this subject, when he was handed a community service order for swearing in an FIA press conference. Since then, the debate has only spiralled and drivers in other series have been caught up in the controversy.

George Russell, Mercedes

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

WRC drivers protested the ban by agreeing to only speak with reporters in their native languages, rather than English, and F1 driver George Russell said the debate had gotten “out of hand.”

Finally, after months of back and forth, Ben Sulayem said in April that he was open to changing the governing body’s sporting code over swearing and “inappropriate language.”

Niels Wittich departs

Another high profile departure at the FIA came in November 2024, when F1 race director Niels Wittich was removed from the role.

At the time, his departure was dubbed “weird” by Verstappen and “surprising” by Wittich himself, after he had held the post for a little over two years. Wittich has since revealed that “no one has been able to give me an answer” as to why he was let go from the position ahead of the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

It was a move that sparked backlash from F1 insiders and experts, and following the announcement Grand Prix Drivers’ Association director, George Russell, said: “Some drivers are really fed up with the situation because it just keeps going in the wrong direction.”

His comments were followed by a response from Ben Sulayem, who said that the move was “none of their business. Sorry.”

More senior figures step down

Further departures stung the organisation just a few weeks later when senior steward Tim Mayer and F2 race director Janette Tan also left the organisation.

Mohammed ben Sulayem, FIA President, Nikolas Tombazis, FIA Single Seater Director

Photo by: Rudy Carezzevoli / Motorsport Images

Tan left the organisation just days before she was due to oversee her first race, the F2 event in Qatar, and no reason for her departure was made public. Mayer left his role as an FIA steward at the same time, without an official reason for his departure.

However, it was believed that his dismissal came amid tensions with Ben Sulayem over the circumstances surrounding a track invasion at the United States Grand Prix.

Just days after leaving his post, Mayer took aim at the FIA president. He pinned the controversial clamp down on swearing on Ben Sulayem, and said that the former rally driver “directly involved himself in making his views known” within the organisation. Mayer also revealed that he was let go from his position via text message, which he said did “not speak well of the management of the federation.”

Officials barred from FIA meetings

The rift between the FIA and its members widened in February when several high-ranking officials were barred from a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.

At a meeting on 26 February, the FIA attempted to clamp down on leaks coming from within the organisation by demanding that every member present at the meeting sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). FIA deputy president Robert Reid and David Richards, the chairman of UK Motorsport, refused to sign the NDA, and were subsequently refused entry to the WMSC meeting.

The organisation said the documents were meant to “ensure confidential relationships between all parties.” At the time of their ban, Reid and Richards did not comment on the matter.

Robert Reid, FIA

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Robert Reid resigns

Just two months after he was refused entry to a World Motor Sport Council meeting, Reid made his feelings on the state of the FIA clear and stepped down from his role as deputy president.

The former WRC co-driver resigned from his role on 10 April with immediate effect, citing a “breakdown of governance standards” at the FIA. After holding the position for over three years, Reid said that his resignation was “not about personalities; it is about principles.”

He said that motorsport deserved “leadership that is accountable, transparent, and member-driven,” before adding that he could “no longer, in good faith, remain part of a system that does not reflect those values.”

Carlos Sainz Sr could run for election

Less than a month after the departure of Reid, the FIA’s presidency is back in the spotlight as rally driver Carlos Sainz Sr appears to be preparing to throw his hat into the ring for motorsport’s top job.

Several key figures from within the motorsport world have reportedly approached the former World Rally champion and Dakar winner about running against Ben Sulayem.