David Richards on the circumstances of his suspension

      The former head of the BAR team, Prodrive boss David Richards, the head of the British federation, was recently not allowed to attend a meeting of the World Motorsport Council due to a dispute with President Mohammed Bin Sulayem. In an open letter to the members of Motorsport UK, Richards explained his position.

      David Richards: "For some time now, I have been concerned about undermining the principles and effectiveness of the FIA leadership. As you know from publications in the press, a problem has recently arisen that has forced me to take a certain position and requires an explanation.

      Many of you may have been surprised when we did not support British candidate Graeme Stoker in the election, but then, after meeting with representatives of both candidates, we were convinced that Mohammed's plans were well thought out, which generally coincided with our vision of how the FIA should be transformed.

      The key points of their plans were: a restrained president who would not be involved in operational activities and would leave the day-to-day management of the FIA to professionals; the appointment of a competent and empowered CEO who would manage the FIA in accordance with professional standards; full transparency of activities and the highest standards of sports governance.

      Over the past three years, these promises have clearly not been fulfilled. As the situation worsened, many senior FIA members were either dismissed or resigned under unclear circumstances.

      In addition, the scope of the audit and ethics committees has been significantly reduced, they can no longer act independently of the President. Our representative, who questioned some issues, was promptly removed from office, as was the chairman of the audit committee.

      It was all getting more and more disturbing, but when I was recently asked to sign a new confidentiality agreement, it was like a gag in my mouth.

      When I was appointed to the World Motorsport Council in 2021, I had already signed a confidentiality agreement and was also bound by Article 4 of the FIA Code of Ethics. I continue to comply with these obligations, but the new confidentiality agreement goes far beyond them. I was given a deadline of only one week and informed that I would not be allowed to participate in the meeting of the World Motorsport Council if I did not sign. In addition, any violation would result in an immediate fine of 50,000 euros with the threat of unspecified damages.

      The concept of the new confidentiality agreement does not comply with the FIA Charter and contradicts the promise of transparency of the management, which we voted for.

      As a result, we have notified the FIA that if they do not resolve the issues we have raised, we will take further legal action.

      In a year when the president is either re-elected or a new one is appointed, it is more important than ever to remind the FIA of their responsibilities and to continue to hold them accountable on behalf of the sport and its members around the world, and that is exactly what I intend to do."