FIA exodus doesn't stop: two top legal department executives leave

10/03/2024 11:50 AM

The FIA’s communications director and the secretary general for mobility have resigned, adding to the growing list of names who have left the Federation in the past year. The situation seems to go beyond mere turnover, with the exodus possibly continuing in the coming months.

The stability that for years characterized the FIA's top roles is now a distant memory. The International Federation has lost two more executives, communications director Luke Skipper and secretary general for mobility Jacob Bangsgaard. Both have resigned, further lengthening the list of names who in recent months have decided to leave the Federation’s offices.

All of this has not gone unnoticed, especially considering the period the management of president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is going through, who once again found himself under the spotlight after his stance against Max Verstappen for a word deemed “unacceptable” during a press conference. This led to the penalty imposed on the world champion, who will be required to perform "community service," sparking controversy in the paddock.

A certain amount of turnover is acceptable in any organization, but in the last twelve months at the FIA, the number of people who have decided to move on is significant. Last winter, it was announced that sporting director Steve Nielsen and technical director Tim Goss had both resigned from their roles. Nielsen moved to the Formula 1 Group, while Goss has just started his new professional adventure at Red Bull as technical chief. Last winter, Deborah Mayer also left her role as head of the FIA Women in Motorsport commission.

In February, it emerged that both governance director Pierre Ketterer and head of commercial legal affairs Edward Floydd (both involved in the Concorde Agreement negotiations on behalf of the FIA) had submitted their resignations, leaving the Federation. Three months later, it was announced that the FIA's first female CEO, Natalie Robyn, would also be leaving the federation after being appointed by Mohammed Ben Sulayem in November 2022. The overall scenario seems to go beyond normal turnover, and according to some insiders, the exodus may not be over.

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