FIA deputy president Robert Reid resigns over ‘standards breakdown’
FIA deputy president Robert Reid has resigned from motorsport’s governing body with immediate effect, citing a “breakdown in standards” in a strongly-worded statement on Thursday.
Reid stood alongside president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in a successful election campaign in 2021 and had held the role as second in command ever since, but has relinquished his position amid growing frustrations with how the FIA is being run.
The former world rally championship co-driver said he was alarmed at “critical decisions being made without due process or proper consultation” and criticized a “fundamental breakdown in governance standards.”
The resignation, after Reid and Motorsport UK head David Richards opposed the governing body’s recent statute changes, will be a talking point ahead of the weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
“When I took on this role, it was to serve the FIA’s members; not to serve power,” Reid said in a statement.
“Over time, I have witnessed a steady erosion of the principles we promised to uphold. Decisions are being made behind closed doors, bypassing the very structures and people the FIA exists to represent.
“My resignation is not about personalities; it is about principles. Motorsport deserves leadership that is accountable, transparent, and member-driven.
“I can no longer, in good faith, remain part of a system that does not reflect those values.”
There was no immediate reaction from Ben Sulayem, who is due to attend F1 meetings and the grand prix at Sakhir, but an FIA spokesman said a statement was being prepared.
Reid also called on the FIA’s member clubs and stakeholders to demand greater accountability from the federation’s leadership.
pic.twitter.com/fjulSOHRVF
— Robert Reid (@robertreidwrc) April 10, 2025
Richards, currently in the Middle East, wrote an open letter to Motorsport UK members on Wednesday referring to “a shift of the moral compass” at the FIA leadership and said he hoped to discuss matters with Ben Sulayem.
Ben Sulayem is expected to seek re-election in December.
Information from Reuters has been used in this report.
Source: espn.com