10/04/2025
NEWS STORY
Robert Reid, deputy president for sport at the FIA, has resigned in the latest blow to president Mohammed ben Sulayem.
Reid was one of those barred from a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council earlier year, along with MotorsportUK chairman David Richards.
Reid's resignation is another blow to the house of cards that Ben Sulayem has built, a house of cards because the president has antagonised and alienated so many people his downfall is almost inevitable.
At first, when he took on Liberty Media owned F1, many believed he would prove to be a force for the good, but as his power increased he became more and more determined to exert it and seemingly nobody was safe.
Richards, who stood fully behind Ben Sulayem ahead of his election in 2021, admits that he has now lost faith and claims that the FIA has lost its moral compass.
In his resignation statement, Reid is equally harsh in his criticism of the FIA's leadership.
"When I took on this role, it was to serve the FIA's members, not to serve power," he said. "Over time, I have witnessed a steady erosion of the principles we promised to uphold. Decisions are being made behind closed doors, bypassing the very structures and people the FIA exists to present."
Insisting that his resignation is "not about personalities, it is about principles", Reid states: "Motorsport deserves leadership that is accountable, transparent and member-driven. I can no longer, in good faith, remain part of a system that does not reflect those values."
According to Reid, "the final breach of trust and due process" was the decision to take the promotion of the World Rallycross Championship in-house, even though the move, which could, according to Reid, "could carry legal risk under European Union competition law", was made without the approval of the FIA senate or world council.
In the last 24 months the FIA has been like a revolving door in terms of hirings, firings and resignations, while Susie Wolff, wife of Mercedes boss Toto, is involving in legal action against the organisation over the claims of insider dealing made in late 2023 which were withdrawn just 48 hours later.