- Decision will be voted upon by members in June
- Mohammed Ben Sulayem expected to stand for re-election in December
The International Automobile Federation (FIA) has announced Malcolm Wilson has been nominated for the position of the governing body’s deputy president for sport.
Wilson, awarded an OBE for services to motorsport in 2009, is the managing director of M-Sport, which operates Ford’s World Rally programme, and a former driver whose career included winning the British Rally in 1994.
His nomination by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, which follows Robert Reid resigning from the deputy president role earlier this month, will be voted upon by members in June.
Ben Sulayem said in a statement from the FIA: “Malcolm has had a distinguished career in global motor sport. For over 40 years he has competed at the highest level both as a driver and technical partner to teams.
“This experience will be invaluable to the FIA and our member clubs as we continue to grow grassroots and professional motor sport, driving innovation in the sport to benefit fans, drivers and teams.”
Ben Sulayem is expected to stand for re-election when his four-year term expires in December.
The deputy president for sport is one of the most senior elected roles at the FIA serving on the World Motor Sport Council and has a wide range of responsibilities including developing global motorsport policies in collaboration with FIA commissions and national sporting authorities, as well as promoting safety, sustainability and innovation within motorsport.
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Reid’s resignation from the role was the latest in a string of controversies related to Ben Sulayem. Reid had a number of disagreements with the FIA president in the months leading up to his resignation, which came after Motorsport UK chair David Richards also accused the FIA of a “shift in moral compass”.
Richards said he was barred from taking part in a meeting of the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council after electing against signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). The NDA would outlaw individuals from discussing matters relating to the FIA away from council meetings and Richards said he viewed its introduction as a “gagging order”.
Race director Niels Wittich and chief executive Natalie Robyn have headlined a raft of high-profile exits from the FIA in the past two years. Now, Ben Sulayem also has the power to judge ethics complaints against himself, which some have argued sets a worrying precedence for the organisation’s future governance.
In her first interview since leaving the FIA in May 2024, Robyn told BBC Sport that the governing body has “serious ongoing structural challenges” and said recent developments “threaten both the credibility and the long-term effectiveness of an important institution”.
“During my tenure as CEO, I worked under challenging circumstances to strengthen the federation’s governance framework and upgrade its operational transparency,” said Robyn. “The resignation of the deputy president of sport clearly indicates there are serious ongoing structural challenges.
“When professional processes are not adhered to and stakeholders are excluded from decision-making, it undermines the foundation of a strong organisation.”
PA Media contributed to this report.
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