The FIA brings together 243 world organizations under one roof and is involved in almost every facet of world motorsports. With so much to oversee, the FIA must employ enough people to cover all its bases. It has over 270 employees split between its two headquarters.
Over the years, Formula 1’s popularity has grown exponentially. Thanks to Drive to Survive and more races on the schedule, fans are now accessing the sport at a higher level. The FIA plays a big part in controlling the booking of circuits and working alongside Liberty Media. Without the governing body of Formula 1, the Grand Prix could not be held.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s presidency
The FIA has a long history of being an active organisation since it was founded in 1904 and being the president of Formula 1’s governing body is no easy job. It’s even harder when you come into an organization at one of its lowest points.
Before the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Jean Todt was set to step down, having reached his maximum time allowed. In the aftermath of Abu Dhabi the current president of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem stepped up to the position.
The FIA have released a statement confirming Michael Masi has decided to leave the FIA and relocate to Australia to be closer to his family. pic.twitter.com/rNJUMye9vG
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) July 12, 2022
Mohammed Ben Sulayem became president of the FIA only 5 days after the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Sulayem got the role on Decembe 17, 2021. From the very beginning, Sulayem’s presidency has been controversial and rocky. Several important figures have left the organization under his reign in the past three years.
Senior Figures leave the FIA
The FIA is an international organization with thousands of employees. It makes sense that there would be some turnover with them leaving. However, since 2021, we have seen an unprecedented amount of senior leaders and various employees leaving. Recently, the Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Luke Skipper, and Secretary General for Automobile Mobility and Tourism, Jacob Bangsgaard have left the organization.
In 2023, Sporting Director Steve Nielsen left after less than a year. What is more concerning is that two other senior employees time had already left the FIA in the months following Nielsen’s leave. Deborah Mayer, head of the FIA’s commission for women, and Tim Gross the single-seater technical director also left in 2023. After the events that followed the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, they seemed to be attempting to make changes.
According to BBC Sport, Nielsen left because he “felt the FIA [were] not willing to make the changes he felt were required to make its race-control operations fit for purpose”. The FIA has struggled over the previous two years to keep senior employees with over six of them leaving just last year alone. Are the employees leaving because of Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s tumultuous presidency? Or is the restructuring of the FIA causing others to doubt the FIA’s validity?
Dubbed the ‘FIA Exodus’, one can’t help but wonder – What is going on?
