5 things to know about Mohammed Ben Sulayem, new president of the FIA

A page of the FIA ​​was turned this Friday, December 17, 2021. At the helm since 2009 and three mandates later, Jean Todt left the presidency of the Federation. To succeed the French leader, the General Assembly elected Mohammed Ben Sulayem ahead of Graham Stoker, his only opponent, with 61,62% of the votes against 36,62% and only 1,76% abstention. But who is he really?

• A pilot above all

If his name may not mean anything to you, the new president has a long history in the world of motorsport. Before being appointed head of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem had a life as a driver. For 16 years (1986-2002), the native of Dubai chained the titles of rally on his land where he won the Middle East championship 14 times before hanging up his suit and helmet in 2002.

• He destroyed an R28 Renault

It is April 9, 2009 and the scene takes place at his home, at the Dubai Autodrome. On site, Renault organized its Roadshow, an event to please the fans who came to attend the show but also Mohammed Ben Sulayem. As a great enthusiast, the future president had the opportunity to take the wheel of an R28, the car used by the diamond manufacturer during the 2008 season of F1. Unfortunately for him, things did not go as planned. Despite a seemingly successful takeoff, Mohammed Ben Sulayem lost control and hit the wall about a hundred meters from the starting position, pulverizing the car.

• First non-European president

Founded on June 20, 1904, the FIA ​​has only had 12 presidents, including Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Surprisingly, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile has always been governed by a European. From Étienne van Zuylen van Nyevelt (the first) to Jean Todt via Jean-Marie Balestre and Max Mosley, all were born in Europe. Mohammed Ben Sulayem will therefore be the first man born beyond the borders of the Old Continent to chair the FIA.

• Present at the FIA ​​for 8 years

Before running as a candidate to succeed Jean Todt, Mohammed Ben Sulayem had already tried his luck. It was in 2013. Once a candidate for the post of president, the Dubai native finally decided to step down. However, he remained within the Federation since Jean Todt, who was beginning his second mandate in a row, included him in his electoral list as one of the seven vice-presidents in charge of sports, in his Middle East region in 'occurrence. A position he retained until 2 before becoming president.

• A modern project

Faced with a Graham Stoker not offering a real revolution in his program where the main lines were focused on security, sustainable development or even diversity, themes addressed by Jean Todt throughout his 3 mandates, Mohammed Ben Sulayem presented himself with a completely different vision of things.

In view of the election, the 60-year-old placed emphasis on the modernization and financial transparency of the Federation. He explained that he wanted to use his experience as a businessman to continue to develop the FIA ​​by appointing a CEO who could manage daily issues, for example.

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