FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is reportedly attempting to strengthen his control of the governing body by introducing changes to the statutes.

A report by the BBC claims Ben Sulayem is attempting to make it harder for anyone to oppose him in the presidential race and also give him a veto of all candidates.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem pushing for statute changes

The FIA presidential elections are set to take place later this year and after reports that Carlos Sainz Sr was considering running, Ben Sulayem has now sought to make it harder for anyone to oppose him.

According to a document seen by the BBC, proposed revisions would bring the deadline forward for candidates to submit their bid and also give Ben Sulayem the possibility to bar any candidate should he wish.

The changes will be voted on at the next meeting of the FIA General Assembly held in June.

An anonymous source told the BBC that the proposals are trying to ‘eliminate independent checks and balances.’

The episode would be the latest in a long line of controversial incidents involving the current president who took over from Jean Todt in 2021.

Under his presidency, multiple senior figures have resigned from the FIA while Chair of Motorsport UK, David Richards wrote a scathing letter of the Emirati.

In the letter, which threatened legal action, Richards said the FIA has “progressively worsened” under Ben Sualyem and said the “final straw” was “being asked to sign a new confidentiality agreement that I regarded as a ‘gagging order’”.

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In December, Ben Sulayem told drivers to mind their own business after some questioned why race director Niels Wiitch left a week before the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

“Do we have to tell them? When something in the teams changes, do they tell us?,” the 63-year-old told Reuters.

“We have the rules, we follow our rules. We don’t follow someone else’s rule. Simple as this.

“Do we tell them how to drive? Do we tell them what to have as their strategy?

“It’s none of their business. Sorry…I am a driver. I respect the drivers. Let them go and concentrate on what they do best, which is race.”

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