Who Is The New FIA President And What Does His Job Include?

It’s the end of an era. Without 12 years in charge, Jean Todt has handed over the role of the most powerful person in motorsport to newly-elected FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. He write-up former F1 steward and FIA Deputy President for Sport, Graham Stoker, with 61% of the vote to wilt their first non-European president.

“I am very honoured to have been elected FIA President at the conclusion of the Yearly General Assembly in Paris today,” Ben Sulayem said.

“I thank all the Member Clubs for their esteem and trust. I congratulate Graham for his wayfarers and his engagement to the Federation. I am single-minded to pursuing the important work and make motor sport and mobility take remoter steps forward.”

So who is Mohammed Ben Sulayem, and why does the FIA President matter?

I’d moreover like to pay tribute to @JeanTodt for his leadership over the past 12 years, and commend @GrahamStoker21 on his campaign. We squint forward to working with all who seek the irradiation of this Federation we all love.

— Mohammed Ben Sulayem (@Ben_Sulayem) December 17, 2021

WHO IS HE?

Turns out the 10th President of the FIA is pretty handy overdue the wheel himself. Born in Dubai, 60-year-old Ben Sulayem had a lengthy rally career, taking 61 wins, including victory in the FIA Middle East Rally Championship 14-times between 1983 and 2002.

He’s certainly no stranger to leadership positions either. Since 2005, Ben Sulayem has been the President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE and was in tuition of the 700-person team tasked to ensure the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix’s debut in 2009 ran smoothly.

At the time, virtually half of the marshals and officials were flown in from the UK. As a result, he built a programme to train teams of volunteers for future events.

He served as the FIA’s Vice President for Sport from 2008-2013 and 2017-2021 and became the first Arab to be elected to the World Motor Sport Council, where international motorsport regulations are drafted and amended.

Between 2013 and 2017, Ben Sulayem was the Vice President for Automobile Mobility and Tourism and founded the FIA’s ACTAC region, which helps shape the future of motorsport wideness Arabic-speaking countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

He previously stood for the role of FIA President in 2013 but later withdrew. Now seen as the candidate for change, he campaigned to double motorsport participation globally, strengthen diversity and inclusion and be a leading influence on sustainable motorsport.

WHAT DOES THE FIA PRESIDENT DO?

As the squatter of the FIA, the President acts as the voice of the organisation. They’re in tuition of their management, finances and, importantly, setting the overall direction of international motorsport. The President can only serve three four-year terms, up to a maximum of 12 years.

F1 might be the jewel in the FIA’s crown, but Ben Sulayem will moreover be looking without the four other World Championships (Formula E, World Rally, World Endurance and World Rallycross), regional and national championships, mobility and motoring groups, as well as promoting road safety globally. It’s a big job!

As President, Jean Todt fought off opposition from former F1 superabound Bernie Ecclestone to introduce the hybrid V6 engines for the 2014 season. In the 2000s, ex-President Max Mosley’s attempts to introduce an optional €30 million upkeep cap turned into a full-on war, with several teams threatening to breakaway from the sport. The cap would have unliable increasingly technical and diamond freedoms for the teams that used it, substantially creating two variegated sets of rules.

WHAT’S TOP OF THEIR TO DO LIST?

Job number one – deal with the fallout from the controversial ending to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Although Mercedes dropped their appeal to get the race results changed, the FIA World Motor Sport Council spoken a review into what happened. Many are hoping decisive whoopee is taken to deal with the stewards’ inconsistencies that have plagued the 2021 season.

Presenting your 2021 @F1 Drivers’ Champion ?? @Max33Verstappen pic.twitter.com/r1RqgxmfHR

— Red Bull Racing Honda (@redbullracing) December 16, 2021

Consequently, what’s he going to do well-nigh Lewis Hamilton’s no-show at the FIA’s prize giving gala in Paris on Thursday night? Both he and Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff refused to shepherd the event as Max Verstappen officially received his F1 World Championship trophy. An embarrassment to the FIA – yes, and moreover a violate of F1’s Sporting Regulations.

Article 6.6 states that: “The drivers finishing first, second and third in the Championship must be present at the yearly FIA Prize Giving ceremony.” Instead, Hamilton was knighted on Wednesday and on Friday, joined his superabound and valedictory teammate Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes’ end-of-season celebrations for their eighth Constructors’ title.

Welcoming home our Champions. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/VyVzakhRe9

— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) December 17, 2021

Regardless of their frustrations, Ben Sulayem has seemed to suggest that Hamilton wouldn’t be let off just considering he was upset, stating that “rules are rules” and “if there is any violate there is no forgiveness”. Could this be the final nail in the sepulcher for the seven-time champion to leave F1?

Good luck Ben Sulayem, think you’re going to need it!

Is Mohammed Ben Sulayem the right person for the job? Let us know in the comments below.