FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem says that the governing body has reached a “very positive” resolution following a Halo litigation.
Ben Sulayem was elected as FIA president in December of 2021 after the term of Jean Todt reached its conclusion.
One of Ben Sulayem’s first acts as president was a court case regarding the Halo device, which has been mandatory on F1 cars since the 2018 season.
Its inventor Jens Nygaard had taken legal action against the FIA over an alleged patent infringement.
The Halo has been credited with saving drivers from injury and even death since its introduction and was heavily praised for its role in Romain Grosjean’s monstrous crash at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Speaking at the FIA Annual General Assembly in Bologna on Friday, Ben Sulayem says that the legal matter over the Halo is now resolved.
“Our initial job was clear – we had to get the FIA back on track [after the fallout of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix],” he said.
“One of my first actions as President was to be transparent about the legal challenges we faced.
“So, I am very happy to tell you that the Halo litigation has been resolved in a very positive way, safeguarding the future of the FIA, and I thank the legal team for all their hard work.
“But this transparency had to go further. That is why we commissioned independent audits of our finances and governance which have shaped our plans for the future.
“That means balancing the books and reforming the FIA to deliver more for its members. And there is no better example of our drive to reform than the appointment of our first ever CEO [Natalie Robyn].”
The Halo device is also used in feeder series such as Formula 2, Formula 3 and regional categories.
