FIA president Ben Sulayem seeks greater control with latest proposed changes

• Carlos Sainz Sr is considering a run for president against Ben Sulayem
• Ben Sulayem currently controls the FIA ethics committee after changes last year

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), appears to be seeking further control of motorsport’s governing body with his latest round of proposed changes.

A confidential document seen by BBC Sport outlines revisions including bringing forward the deadline for candidates for December’s presidential election, which would reduce the time for candidates to pull together their campaign.

FIA rules require candidates to submit their chosen president of the senate, deputy presidents for sport and mobility and seven vice-presidents for sport from all the FIA’s regions before a campaign can be considered, which is a time-consuming process.

Perhaps most concerning is a proposed change that states there ‘must not be anything in the record of the candidates standing for the election as members of the presidential list that calls into question their professional integrity’.

This appears to be a direct response to two-time World Rally Championship (WRC) champion Carlos Sainz Sr announcing that he is considering a run for president. He is the father of current Williams Racing driver Carlos Sainz Jr.

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If this motion is passed, any issues with a candidate would be passed to the FIA’s ethics committee, which is now controlled by Ben Sulayem himself after previous changes to the FIA in December last year. In short, Ben Sulayem would be able to block candidates from challenging him.

At present, no one is prepared to be speak on the record around issues with the FIA, but BlackBook Motorsport understands various sources have frustrations with the way the governing body is being run.

BBC Sport reported one source that said: “Most proposals aim at some sort of consolidation of power, more centralised control and trying to eliminate independent checks and balances.”

Further proposed changes include a shift in how the senate and world council members are chosen. In short, Ben Sulayem would gain far more control over who is appointed and when.

He is also looking to bring the four-year term of the members of the audit, ethics and nominations committees in line with his own term as president. Ben Sulayem sacked the heads of the audit and ethics committees last year after they launched an investigation against him.