FIA PRESIDENT MOHAMMED BEN SULAYEM UNDER FRESH SCRUTINY AFTER KEY FIGURE QUITS
Motorsport’s world governing body the FIA has been hit by another high-profile departure, with chief executive Natalie Robyn leaving her role after just 18 months.
The FIA said in a statement on Wednesday that the American had left her role “by mutual consent”. Telegraph Sport understands her relationship with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem had become strained.
A former car industry executive for Volvo, Nissan and DaimlerChrysler, Robyn was appointed the first CEO in the FIA’s history in late 2022. Her recruitment was described at the time by Ben Sulayem as “a transformative moment for our federation”.
Robyn, who will leave her post at the end of the month, joins a growing list of senior executive departures, with sporting director Steve Nielsen, single-seater technical director Tim Goss and head of the commission for women Deborah Mayer all leaving in the last few months alone.
Going further back, two secretary-generals, one interim secretary-general, and members of the ethics and technical committees have all departed since Ben Sulayem took over as president in December 2021. While none has spoken publicly, Telegraph Sport published an investigation last year in which it spoke to many current and former FIA employees who described a “culture of fear” at the FIA.
Ben Sulayem, a 62-year-old former rally driver from the United Arab Emirates, has been involved in a series of controversies since being elected just weeks after the controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in which Max Verstappen won his maiden world championship.
His relationship with F1 has been strained from the start, with the two bodies currently negotiating a new Concorde Agreement, the commercial pact that binds the sport’s stakeholders.
Ben Sulayem was cleared earlier this year by the FIA’s ethics committee of accusations from a whistleblower that he had interfered in races in Saudi Arabia and Las Vegas last season.
The Emirati is currently being taken to court in France by Susie Wolff, the managing director of the all-female F1 Academy series, over the FIA’s short-lived conflict-of-interest inquiry into her relationship with Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff.
In a statement, the FIA said: “Natalie has spearheaded a comprehensive overhaul of the Federation’s operational structure, playing a pivotal role in modernising the FIA, enhancing governance, and securing sustainable financial stability. Natalie’s appointment to the role of CEO in November 2022 marked a milestone, leveraging her 18-year career encompassing roles within both the automotive and finance sectors.
“Her decision to pursue opportunities outside of the FIA has prompted her departure from the organisation by mutual agreement, effective at the end of May.”
Robyn said: “Performing in the role of CEO at the FIA has been an enormous privilege and I am grateful to have directed a programme of restructuring and reform. Now is the time to step away in the knowledge that the organisation is better placed for the challenges which lie ahead.
“I take great pride in my role in advancing the FIA’s transformation across both sport and mobility, and I am pleased to leave an organisation comprised of a wonderful team of talented and dedicated individuals.”
Ben Sulayem said: “Natalie’s appointment was notable as the first CEO in the history of the FIA. She has contributed greatly to a wide-ranging reorganisation of our operational and management structure as well as our financial sustainability. On behalf of the FIA, I wish her well in her future endeavours.”
2024-05-08T20:35:52Z dg43tfdfdgfd