FIA Approves Controversial Ethics Rule Changes

The FIA has approved controversial changes to its ethics and audit committees during a general assembly in Kigali, Rwanda. Critics, including Motorsport UK chairman David Richards and Austria's motorsport federation head Oliver Schmerold, argue that the amendments will concentrate power in the hands of FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Senate president Carmelo Sanz De Barros, thereby reducing accountability. The ethics committee will now only carry out initial assessments of complaints, limiting the scope for independent investigations, while the audit committee has lost its ability to independently investigate financial matters. These changes are seen as potentially undermining good governance within the FIA, especially given the prior investigations into Ben Sulayem's conduct. Despite assurances from the FIA that the ethics committee will retain some independence, the amendments have raised significant concerns about transparency and oversight. The FIA is also forecasting a return to profitability in 2024, attributed to reforms in governance and finance.