Shocking state of affairs at the FIA as key personnel barred from attending World Motorsport Council Meeting: Reports

It is being reported that two key FIA personnel were barred from attending the World Motorsport Council Meeting on Wednesday. The sport's governing body has been frequently in the news since the reign of current president Muhammed Ben Sulayem began in 2022.

The Emirati succeeded former Ferrari manager Jean Todt in the role and has already butted heads with drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen on various issues. He had warned the seven-time F1 world champion against wearing jewelry in 2022 and imposed a fine and one day of community service to Red Bull driver Verstappen for swearing in the press conference last year.

As per BBC, Robert Reid, the FIA's deputy president for sport, and David Richards, the UK's representative, were denied access to the World motorsport Council Meeting on Wednesday.

A former Scottish Rally driver, Robert Reid has been part of Ben Sulayem's inner circle but reportedly refused to sign an NDA that prevents the members from discussing FIA-related matters outside of official meetings.

An FIA spokesperson said of the documents:

"As is routine in all organizations, including the BBC, the FIA implements procedures including non-disclosure agreements to ensure confidential relationships between all parties, to safeguard personal information, and to protect our regulatory interests."

"Unauthorised disclosure of confidential information undermines our ability to fully fulfil our mission and adversely impacts our capabilities to generate revenues to support our member clubs in our shared objective of growing motorsport participation, increasing accessibility, and cultivating innovation."

Moreover, Robert Reid and David Richards have yet to comment on the reports on not being allowed to attend the World Motorsport Council Meeting.

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FIA approves two-stops for the upcoming Monaco GP

The sport's governing body had approved the proposal of two mandatory stops at the Monaco Grand Prix from the 2025 edition. The race in the principality, which is considered the "Crown Jewel", has faced criticism for lack of action in the main races despite having blockbuster qualifying.

As per an official statement released by the FIA:

"Following recent discussions in the F1 Commission, a specific requirement for the Monaco GP has been approved mandating the use of at least three sets of tires in the race, with a minimum of two different tire compounds to be used if it's a dry race."

The event was heavily criticized in the 2024 edition for having a lack of captivating track action, as it did not have any noticeable overtakes over the 78 laps. The element of pitstops was also taken away, given that every team changed tires on the opening lap red flag.

The mandatory two-stops are being seen as a way to add a more dynamic and strategic element to the race given that overtakes could remain tricky due to the size of the cars on the narrow circuit.