Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
As Mohammed Ben Sulayem prepares to get re-elected unopposed as president of F1’s world governing body (FIA) on December 12, the Emirati official has reflected candidly on a first term that has brought financial stability, while tightening up on governance and discipline.
Four years ago, when Ben Sulayem assumed the helm at the FIA, the organisation was buried in a €24 million operating loss. “I made a commitment to improving the governance, transparency, and financial health of the FIA,” he told Aletihad through a written interview on the eve of the season-ending Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Under his stewardship, that deficit has thinned — and then vanished. For 2024, the FIA posted an operating profit of €4.7 million and an operating income of €182 million.
According to internal reforms introduced from 2021 onwards, the organisation underwent a sweeping overhaul. Procurement controls were tightened, reporting moved to quarterly cadences, automated systems replaced opaque processes, and a financial steering model was adopted to sharpen decision-making. By the end of 2024, the FIA was free of financial debt and boasted an equity ratio of 45%.
Ben Sulayem said the result marked “the strongest set of financial results in eight years," enabling fresh investments into grassroots motorsport, global championships and mobility initiatives — delivering better outcomes for member clubs and national federations worldwide.
But financial prudence was only part of the equation. The president’s e-mail laid bare his conviction that running the FIA means more than balancing the books — it means safeguarding the sport’s image. “As the governing body of world motorsport, we’re responsible for ensuring compliance … not just technical regulations, but upholding the values and image of motorsport,” he said.
His unflinching stance on drivers’ conduct — especially when passions run high on the global stage — has drawn criticism. Some interpret it as overly restrictive; others see it as necessary discipline. Yet, as he argues, “when language or behaviour crosses a line … we have to consider the impact on fans, sponsors, and the wider public." Speaking of resistance, he admitted that “some resistance” is inevitable, but dismissed criticism as a bullet one needs to bite in enforcing change for the greater good.
Ben Sulayem said he remains confident that teams and drivers ultimately support the commitment to high standards “as part of our shared responsibility” along with governing bodies of other sports as well, who have been implementing rules on player conduct.
At the election next week, Ben Sulayem appears set to run unopposed. There have been a couple of legal challenges which have cast a doubt, but a UK court has postponed intervention until February. A couple of contestants, Tim Mayer and Laura Villars, decided to enter the fray late, but the rules indicate the presidential hopefuls must field a team of regional officials in advance to submit the election bid.
Ben Sulayem did his homework correctly, and his entry has been cleared on technical grounds, a proof of his administrative acumen. The unprepared Villars and Mayer are contesting the rules, but the court has decided to hear the case in two months “on merit.”
The Emirati did not get into details. “My focus from the very beginning has been to do the best job I can as president of the FIA … I am committed to transforming the FIA into a modern, accessible, and connected organisation.”
He stressed that the federation’s members had been able to judge him against the promises in his 2021 manifesto. “I’ve travelled around the world to listen to them, and I am proud of what we have achieved together,” he said. He pointed to new races added to FIA World Championship calendars, the launch of the inaugural FIA Karting Arrive and Drive World Cup, and road-safety outreach programmes as concrete proof of progress.
Asked about concerns over next year’s race calendar, he was upbeat. This 2025 season, he said, has already been “an exciting year across all our championships, with technological milestones, new talent and close competition."
Notably, he confirmed that the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council has approved the 2026 calendar — including the addition of Cadillac as the eleventh team on the grid for the 2026 World Championship. He called this “a transformative moment for the sport,” signalling a push to make motorsport “truly global.”
