Ex-FIA deputy president sheds more light on shock resignation

Robert Re☂id opens up on his reasons for quitting th🙈e FIA.

Robert Reid, former FIA deputy president for sport
Robert Reid, former FIA deputy president for sport

Former FIA deputy president Robert Reid says he paid the price for speaking out about his concerns relating to how F1’s governing body operates.

Last week, Reid 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:announced his resignation from his role as second in command to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem due 🐭to what he described as “a fundament🗹al breakdown in governance stands within motorsport’s global governing body”.

Reid was a key member of Ben Sulayem’s leadership team when he won the 2021 🌱presidential e෴lection but the pair have fallen out amid several controversies surrounding the FIA president.

The Scot 🔯has now taken to Substack to further expꦓlain his reasons for quitting.

“It is interesting, but not wholly surprising, that many of those messages of support came with the caveat of not💛 being willing to say anything publicly for fear of retaliation, which highlights some of the issues we face,” he wrote.

“I would never ask anyone to put themselves in what they feel is an uncomfortable ꦆposition, be it through a letter of support or a social post showing clear endorsement, as I don’t feel that it would be fair to do so. From other quarters the silence has been deafening.

“As I said in my init💫ial statement, my decision to resign was not about personalities or politics൲. It was about principles. I took on this role with a clear mandate: to help lead a transparent, accountable, and member-led federation.”

Reid, who tha🔯nked those from the upper echelons of motorsport who have backed him, continued: “I spoke up when I felt fundamental principl♎es were being eroded. I did so respectfully, constructively, and always with the aim of safeguarding the integrity of our sport. But doing so came at a cost.

“It became clear that raising legitimate concerns was not always welcomed and I experienced firsthand how challenging the status quo can lead to exclusion rather than dialogue. I don’t regret spea♛king up. But I do believe I was treated unfairly for doing so.

“Leadership matters. Governance matters. And trust, once lost, isℱ hard to rebuild. If motorsport is to remain credible and thrive into the future, it must be governed not by control, but by collaboration. Not by silence, but by accountability.”

Reid clears up NDA refusal

Mohammed Ben Sulayem
Mohammed Ben Sulayem

Reid also clarified that he did not refuse to sign a non disclosure agreement that led to him and Motorsport UK chairman Dave Richards from 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:being barred from recent a 🦋meeting of the organisation’s World Motor Sport Council.

Instead, Reid says he simply❀ requested an extension to seek legal advice but wa🥀s still banned from attending the meeting.

“I fully support the need for c🍸onfidentiality and have personally been deeply frustrated at the number of leaks that undermine trust and effective governance,” he continued.

“One journalist said to me that perhaps the FIA should be more con♉ﷺcerned with why people are leaking than who is doing it and I think that’s worth reflecting on.

“I did not refuse to sign the NDA amendment. I simply requested a short extension in order to seek legal advice on a complex do👍cument governed by Swiss law, which was presented with a relatively short deadline. That request was de๊nied.

🐻“As a result, I was excluded from the World Motor Sport Council meeting, in my view, both unfairly and unlawfully.

“10 days later, my FIA email was disabled without notice. Multiple requests for assistance and explanation went unanswered until, following a legal letter from my counღsel, I was informed this had been a deliberate decision.

"I want to be clear: I re🧔main bound by confidentiality obligations and will continue to respect those legal resp𒐪onsibilities. I will not disclose information received in confidence or obtained in my official capacity.”

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