Ex-FIA deputy president sheds more light on shock resignation

Former FIA deputy president Robert Reid says he paid the price for speaking out about his concerns relating to how F1’s governing body operates.

Last week, Reid announced his resignation from his role as second in command to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem due to what he described as “a fundamental breakdown in governance stands within motorsport’s global governing body”.

Reid was a key member of Ben Sulayem’s leadership team when he won the 2021 presidential election but the pair have fallen out amid several controversies surrounding the FIA president.

The Scot has now taken to Substack to further explain his reasons for quitting.

“It is interesting, but not wholly surprising, that many of those messages of support came with the caveat of not being willing to say anything publicly for fear of retaliation, which highlights some of the issues we face,” he wrote.

“I would never ask anyone to put themselves in what they feel is an uncomfortable position, be it through a letter of support or a social post showing clear endorsement, as I don’t feel that it would be fair to do so. From other quarters the silence has been deafening.

“As I said in my initial statement, my decision to resign was not about personalities or politics. It was about principles. I took on this role with a clear mandate: to help lead a transparent, accountable, and member-led federation.”

Reid, who thanked those from the upper echelons of motorsport who have backed him, continued: “I spoke up when I felt fundamental principles were being eroded. I did so respectfully, constructively, and always with the aim of safeguarding the integrity of our sport. But doing so came at a cost.

“It became clear that raising legitimate concerns was not always welcomed and I experienced firsthand how challenging the status quo can lead to exclusion rather than dialogue. I don’t regret speaking up. But I do believe I was treated unfairly for doing so.

“Leadership matters. Governance matters. And trust, once lost, is hard to rebuild. If motorsport is to remain credible and thrive into the future, it must be governed not by control, but by collaboration. Not by silence, but by accountability.”

Reid clears up NDA refusal

Reid also clarified that he did not refuse to sign a non disclosure agreement that led to him and Motorsport UK chairman Dave Richards from being barred from recent a meeting of the organisation’s World Motor Sport Council.

Instead, Reid says he simply requested an extension to seek legal advice but was still banned from attending the meeting.

“I fully support the need for confidentiality and have personally been deeply frustrated at the number of leaks that undermine trust and effective governance,” he continued.

“One journalist said to me that perhaps the FIA should be more concerned with why people are leaking than who is doing it and I think that’s worth reflecting on.

“I did not refuse to sign the NDA amendment. I simply requested a short extension in order to seek legal advice on a complex document governed by Swiss law, which was presented with a relatively short deadline. That request was denied.

“As a result, I was excluded from the World Motor Sport Council meeting, in my view, both unfairly and unlawfully.

“10 days later, my FIA email was disabled without notice. Multiple requests for assistance and explanation went unanswered until, following a legal letter from my counsel, I was informed this had been a deliberate decision.

"I want to be clear: I remain bound by confidentiality obligations and will continue to respect those legal responsibilities. I will not disclose information received in confidence or obtained in my official capacity.”