Former FIA deputy president for sport Robert Reid says many supporters from the upper echelons of motorsport have backed him since he left the governing body last week.
However he said few are prepared to publicly back his criticism of the FIA’s direction under president Mohammed Ben Sulayem “for fear of retaliation.”
Reid announced his resignation one week ago. He said today he was stunned by the reaction to it.
“I am genuinely overwhelmed by the positive response, from the very top of motorsport to FIA member clubs, colleagues, fans, and friends across the world,” he wrote in a social media post. “I’m incredibly grateful, and humbled, by the support shown publicly and privately.
“It is interesting, but not wholly surprising, that many of those messages of support came with the caveat of not being willing to say anything publicly for fear of retaliation, which highlights some of the issues we face.
“I would never ask anyone to put themselves in what they feel is an uncomfortable position, be it through a letter of support or a social post showing clear endorsement, as I don’t feel that it would be fair to do so. From other quarters the silence has been deafening.”
He made his announcement last week after the chair of Britain’s FIA-affiliated motorsport club, Motorsport UK, reiterated his criticism of the FIA’s use of new confidentiality agreements. Reid addressed this, saying he accepted the need for confidentiality, but questioned the manner in which the FIA had introduced non-disclosure agreements and said his exclusion from FIA meetings had been unlawful.
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“I fully support the need for confidentiality and have personally been deeply frustrated at the number of leaks that undermine trust and effective governance,” said Reid. “One journalist said to me that perhaps the FIA should be more concerned with why people are leaking than who is doing it and I think that’s worth reflecting on.
“I did not refuse to sign the NDA amendment. I simply requested a short extension in order to seek legal advice on a complex document governed by Swiss law, which was presented with a relatively short deadline. That request was denied.
“As a result, I was excluded from the World Motor Sport Council meeting, in my view, both unfairly and unlawfully. Ten days later, my FIA email was disabled without notice. Multiple requests for assistance and explanation went unanswered until, following a legal letter from my counsel, I was informed this had been a deliberate decision.
“I want to be clear: I remain bound by confidentiality obligations and will continue to respect those legal responsibilities. I will not disclose information received in confidence or obtained in my official capacity.”
Reid, who won the World Rally Championship as co-driver to Richard Burns in 2001, was part of Ben Sulayem’s election-winning presidential campaign in 2021. But after taking on the role of deputy president for sport, he said he has been dissatisfied by the reaction he received within the governing body when he tried to discuss issues.
“One of the clearest and most troubling examples of this breakdown involved the internalisation of the World Rallycross Championship,” he said. “I repeatedly raised concerns, both about the governance process and potential legal implications, and received no response, despite my elected responsibilities and fiduciary obligations.
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“Eventually, I had no choice but to seek external legal advice and support. Only then did I receive a response, but unfortunately it lacked the clarity and rigour I had hoped for.
“I was told, in broad terms, that the governance process was sound and there was no legal risk. But no evidence or explanation was offered to support those assurances. As someone accountable to the membership and exposed to personal liability, that was simply not acceptable.”
According to Reid his attempts to tackle what he saw as the erosion of “fundamental principles” within the FIA led to him being ostracised. “I did so respectfully, constructively, and always with the aim of safeguarding the integrity of our sport,” he said. “But doing so came at a cost.
“It became clear that raising legitimate concerns was not always welcomed and I experienced first-hand how challenging the status quo can lead to exclusion rather than dialogue. I don’t regret speaking up. But I do believe I was treated unfairly for doing so.
“Leadership matters. Governance matters. And trust, once lost, is hard to rebuild. If motorsport is to remain credible and thrive into the future, it must be governed not by control, but by collaboration. Not by silence, but by accountability.”
Ben Sulayem’s first term as president will conclude later this year. Reid is the latest in a series of notable figures within the organisation who have left, prompting speculation Ben Sulayem will face a challenger in the coming election.
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Reid gave no indication he intends to stand. “A lot of people have asked what comes next,” he said. “The truth is, this was never about a ‘next move.’ It was about saying: this isn’t good enough, and I can’t be part of it anymore.”
Following Reid’s resignation last week, an FIA spokesperson said the governing body “is grateful for Robert Reid’s contribution to the FIA, and to motor sport more widely.”
“The FIA has exceptionally robust corporate governance policies which guide our operations and ensure our rules, practices and processes are adhered to,” they continued.
“The FIA World Rallycross Championship is a hugely popular sport. In recent years, world and European Rallycross events have been watched by a growing audience of over 30 million viewers spanning over 100 countries.
“The FIA has directly invested into the championship for the benefit of fans, teams, and FIA member clubs. This investment is in line with the FIA’s commitment to double participation in motorsport globally.”
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