Motorsport UK chairman David Richards has called FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s leadership into question after he refused to sign a confidentiality agreement before last week’s meeting of World Motor Sport Council.
Richards, a member of the FIA World Motor Sport Council, was one of the president’s supporters when he was elected in 2021 but, in a letter sent to Motorsport UK members on Wednesday, said there had been a “distinct failure” from Ben Sulayem to live up to his promises.
“For some time now I’ve had concerns about the erosion of accountability and good governance within the FIA. An issue has recently emerged that has compelled me to take a stand and needs an explanation,” Richards wrote.
“The final straw for me, three weeks ago, was being asked to sign a new confidentiality agreement that I regarded as a ‘gagging order’.”
Richards, along with fellow World Rally champion and FIA deputy president sport Robert Reid, declined to sign the new agreement.
Reid hasn't commented on the matter, but elected not to sign the agreement along with Richards
Richards continued: “The key clauses I objected to were: everything was now considered confidential, without any qualification, preventing me from necessarily sharing what I considered to be relevant information.
“The FIA, at its own discretion, could decide if anyone breached the terms of the new confidentiality agreement with no process or frame of reference [and] there was an immediate fine of €50,000 for any breach and threat of undisclosed damages.”
Signing off his letter, Richards said with 2025 being an election year, it is “more important than ever to remind the FIA of their responsibilities and continue to hold them to account on behalf of the sport and their members worldwide, and that’s what I intend to do”.
DirtFish approached the FIA for comment and was referred back to a previous statement, reading: “As is routine in all organizations, the FIA implements procedures including non-disclosure agreements to ensure confidential relationships between all parties, to safeguard personal information, and to protect our regulatory interests.
“Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information undermines our ability to fully fulfil our mission and adversely impacts our capabilities to generate revenues to support our Member Clubs in our shared objective of growing motorsport participation, increasing accessibility, and cultivating innovation.
“The steps we have taken to preserve confidentiality have been overwhelmingly supported by a super majority of WMSC members.”
Reid declined to comment when contacted by DirtFish.
