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Mohammed bin Sulayem succeeds Jean Todt as FIA president
Motorsport News
Mohammed bin Sulayem, a 14-time Middle Eastern rally champion, will succeed Jean Todt as president of the FIA
Mohammed bin Sulayem is the first non-European to be elected as president of the FIA
VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images
Former rally driver Mohammed bin Sulayem has been elected as the new president of the FIA, succeeding the outgoing Jean Todt.
He has taken over from the Frenchman, who was finishing his third term as president, by winning 61.6% of votes.
The 14-time Middle Eastern rally champion was thought to be the favourite heading into the vote, having served as vice president for several years.
Ben Sulayem has been a central figure in the Middle East’s emergence as a major player in motor sport over the last two decades, wielding significant power and influence.
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This included the running of the Abu Dhabi GP in 2009, organising over 700 staff and volunteers in what F1’s first ever day and night race.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem was the first Arab to be elected to the World Motor Sport Council, serving as FIA vice-president from 2008 onwards.
The first non-European to elected to the role of president, the Emirati has emphasised his focus on training and knowledge transfer – he first got that initiative underway as president of the UAE’s national governing body, chairing the Motor Sport Development Task Force that was set up in 2013, which was created by the FIA to devise a ten-year plan for the sport’s global development.
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