Robert Reid, the FIA’s deputy president for sport and a key ally of president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, has announced his resignation from F1’s governing body.

Mr Reid served as a key member of Ben Sulayem’s leadership team since his election as FIA president in December 2021, with the Scot regarded as his right-hand man.

Robert Reid becomes latest senior figure to leave the FIA

However, the pair’s bond is reported to have become strained in light of a series of controversies surrounding Ben Sulayem.

In a statement released on Thursday ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix, Mr Reid confirmed that he has stepped down from his role, claiming that the key “principles” of transparency, strong governance and collaborative leadership have been “increasingly set aside” by the current regime.

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He said: “After deep reflection, I have made the difficult decision to resign as FIA Deputy President for Sport.

“I took on this role to help deliver greater transparency, stronger governance and more collaborative leadership.

“Over time, those principles have been increasingly set aside and I can no longer, in good faith, remain part of a system that no longer reflects them.

“Stepping away was not easy, however staying would have meant compromising what I believe in.

“This is about principles, not politics.

“Motorsport deserves leadership rooted in integrity, accountability and respect for process.

“That’s the minimum standard we should all expect and demand.”

Mr Reid’s resignation sees him become the latest high-profile figure to depart the FIA following the exits of FIA compliance officer Paolo Basarri, F1 race director Neils Wittich, long-serving steward Tim Mayer and F2 race director Janette Tan in the space of two weeks last November.

It comes less than 24 hours after David Richards, the chairman of Motorsport UK, launched a fresh criticism of Ben Sulayem by highlighting a perceived “shift in the moral compass of our leadership.”

Mr Richards previously threatened legal action against Ben Sulayem last month over what he called the “erosion of accountability and good governance within the FIA.”

The former F1 team boss had been blocked from attending a World Motor Sport Council meeting after refusing to sign a stricter non-disclosure agreement that reportedly forbade those attending from discussing matters pertinent to the FIA outside official settings.

Mr Richards was one of two people banned, along with Mr Reid.

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