Controversial rule changes that will limit the ways F1’s governing body the FIA’s l𓆏eadership caꦗn be held to account have been voted through.

The revisions to the statutes governing the audit and ethics committees were given the green light during ✅a vote of the FIA general assembly held on Friday in the Rwandan capital Kigali.

Any et꧂hics complaints will now be overseen by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, and the president of its senate, Carmelo Sanz De Barros. The ethics committee will be restricted to assessing whether a case requires an in-depth investigation. 

The changes effectively hand💎 more power to Ben Sulayem, who h🙈as been surrounded by controversy ever since taking office in December 2021.

The ethics and audit committees have investigated a series of allegations about the conduct of Ben Sulayem, i🍬ncluding questions about the finances of his private office and two accusations that he interfered with the operations of grands prix in 2023. These were both dismissed.

Ben Sulayem’s governance has raised concerns among F1 teams, as well as drivers, especially following a mass exodus ofཧ key🦂 staff from the FIA and several sudden sackings, most notably F1 race director Niels Wittich.

T♍he 63-year-old Emirati recently rejected criticism from drive😼rs, telling them it is “none of their business” how he runs things.

Earlier this week, the head of Austria's motorsport federation🌜, Oliver Schmerold, said he wa♉s "saddened" by the then-proposed changes. 

"The ethics and audit committees would lose that attractiveness so there would be maybe in future only individuals on those committees who are more or less in one way or another depending on the actual leadership," Schmerold sai🥀d.

"Which indiv♏idual who is behind good governance and who has shown he has a good professional track record would be ready to take on a position on a committee which is completely💞 controlled by two individuals?"

David Ric🎃hards, the chairman of Motorsport UK, also expressed his "concern". 

The FIA’s explanation for changes

A statement provided to wuqian0821.com explaining the changes made to the ethics committee said: “First, to preserve and enhance the independence of the ethics committee by reducing the involvement of the FIA administratio🧸n in its operatio🉐n.

“The ethics committee previously only reported to the president, it now reports to both the 🙈president and the president of the senate.

“The committee now has the powers to independently a🐬ssess whether or not to launch an inves💮tigation.

“Second, as a result of c🐼ontinuous leaks to the media of confidential material, including ethics committee reports, it is now proposed that the distribution of any ethics committee report will be ♔limited.

“This does not prevent either the president or the president of the senate from involving senate members or other members of the FIA or its staff in discussing or implementing 🌠any recommendations from the et📖hics committee.

“Finally, ethics committee rep♉orts can often contain material of a confidential nature including criminal or safeguarding issues.

“It was therefore necessary to limit the automatic sharing of this infor♛mation with multiple members and FIA staff.

“Limiting the distribution of the r🍸eport will also𝔉 protect the complainant and individual subject to the investigation.”

On the audit committee, the statement added: “The aim of the changes is to clarify that the audit committee is an advisory body to the senate and that it shall operate within the limits of the 🉐FIA statutes.

“The proposed𓆉 amendments simply clarify that the audit committee is a support body for the senate and that💜 the internal regulations of the audit committee will, in future, be approved by the senate.

“The audit committee retains its pow🍷ers to assist and investigate if asked to do so by the president of the senate.”