Motorsport UK Chairman Dave Richards was among officials barred by Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, from a recent meeting of the world motor sport council over refusal to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement).
The FIA’s deputy president Robert Reid was also among those barred from the meeting, where a two-stop mandate was agreed for this year’s Monaco Grand Prix.
The BBC reported that the NDA forbids members of the FIA from discussing governing body matters outside of official meetings amid president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s concerns of leaks to the media.
Ben Sulayem has been critical of British media, arguing of bias against him and his tenure as FIA’s president.
Concurrently, the likes of Richards have been critical of the FIA president for limiting powers to the audit and ethics committee.
Ahead of those changes, Richards told the BBC he was “concerned that major organisations around the world would refuse to work with the FIA if it did not reflect the highest standards of corporate governance, as befits our sport”.
The FIA president also has tensions with the F1 driving fraternity, who have repeatedly questioned his clampdown on searing, which he has said is “none of their business.”
The swearing clampdown has also drawn criticism among athletes in the World Rally Championship, who have formed a collective body in response to Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux being fined after swearing during an end-of-stage interview at Rally Sweden.
Legal letters exchanged over NDA refusal
It is reported that legal letters have been exchanged over the NDA refusal by Richards and company as the FIA boat is rocked once again ahead of Ben Sulayem’s campaign for re-election as president later this year.
“As is routine in all organisations, 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,” an FIA statement read.
“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.
“The steps we have taken to preserve confidentiality have been overwhelmingly supported by a super majority of WMSC members.”
READ MORE – WRC drivers follow F1 in statement to FIA president
