Two British members of the World Sports Council FIA (WMSC) were detained by Wednesday’s meeting in the middle of a dispute with President Mohamed Ben Sulayem.
FIA Vice President Robert Reid and David Richards, the Mot Mot Motorport in the United Kingdom who represents Britain at the WMSC, were among those who denied the meeting after refusing to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Sky Sports News Understands that divides members from discussing issues related to FIA, Formula 1 governing body, outside the official council meetings.
The document is understood to have come as a result of Ben Sulayem’s sense that FIA leaks have reached an intolerable level.
Told a spokesman of FIA -s Sky Sports News: “As is routine in all organizations, FIA implements procedures including non-disclosure agreements to ensure confidential relationships between all parties, protect personal information and protect our regulatory interests.
“Unauthorized discovery of confidential information undermines our ability to fully fulfill our mission and adversely affect our ability to generate income to support our member clubs in our common objective of increasing motorport participation, increasing access and innovation cultivation.
“The steps we have taken to maintain confidentiality are overwhelmingly supported by a super majority of WMSC members.”
Amid the exchange of legal letters, the dispute – and the lack of key figures from the meeting – has left doubts whether the decisions made Wednesday are legal.
Among them was the adoption of a second mandatory stop that was being implemented at this year’s Monaco Grand Prix.
Reid and Richards both chose not to comment when they were contacted by Sky Sports News.
Ben Sulayem’s presidency has been decorated in controversy since it was elected in 2021.
Emirati has drawn attention to his views on women, efforts to change FIA statutes to reduce accountability, introduce stricter penalties for sworn drivers, and departures of numerous high figures under his leadership.
The 63-year-old was charged by a FIA whistle of interfering with the Grand Prix result of 2023 Saudi Arabia, and also to tell FIA officials not to prove Las Vegas region to return the sport there in 2023. Both claims were rejected.
The obstruction of Reid, a Scottish former co-owner, was particularly evident given his high role within Ben Sulayem’s presidential team, while Richards publicly supported the president’s elections in 2021.
Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali and team director Ferrari Fred Vasseur, who represents the F1 Commission, are both members of the WMSC and are not understood to have opposed Divis.
Ben Sulayem is expected to seek re -election for another four -year term at the end of 2025 and previously said that he has no problem with others running against him.
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