FIA's Deputy President Robert Reid has announced his resignation from his post as he followed other key members to vacate F1's governing body. The 59-year-old is a retired co-driver who won the World Rally Championship in 2001 with Richard Burns.
After leaving his career behind, the Scot occupied several positions in the governing body before becoming the Deputy President in 2021, running alongside President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
However, Reid and David Richards have been at the forefront of standing up against Ben Sulayem's regime after they and other key members were barred from attending the World Motor Sport Council's meeting in February for refusing to sign the new non-disclosure agreement.
In his statement, Reid cited a lack of transparency and governance as one of the reasons behind his exit, saying:
Trending
“After deep reflection, I have made the difficult decision to resign as FIA deputy president for sport. I took on this role to deliver greater transparency, stronger governance, and more collaborative leadership. Over time, those principles have been increasingly set aside and I can no longer, in good faith, remain part of a system that no longer reflects them.
“Stepping away was not easy, however staying would have meant compromising what I believe in. This is about principles, not politics. Motorsport deserves leadership rooted in integrity, accountability, and respect for process."
Reid's resignation follows many key figures leaving the organization in recent times, like Niels Wittich and Tim Mayer, who had served as race director and steward in the organization, respectively.
Motorsport UK head previews his meeting with the FIA President in Bahrain
Motorsport UK head David Richards shared that he would meet the FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem at the upcoming Bahrain GP this weekend to address his concerns.
In his open letter, Richards spoke about the recent politics and "shift in moral compass" overshadowing the positive accomplishments of the current regime, saying:
"There are many things to be proud of that the FIA team in Geneva have achieved over the last three years. But we cannot allow a shift of the moral compass of our leadership to simply dismiss any request for transparency and open discourse.
“I am in the Middle East for the next week and hope that I may meet with the FIA President to express my views face to face and agree an acceptable outcome.”
Ben Sulayem has been heavily criticized for his management ever since he took the role of president in 2022 and is known for his micromanagement and authoritative regime.
The Emirati has clashed with the sport and its drivers, like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, on several occasions for varied topics like jewelry and language used in F1.
