Vote passes for the FIA chief's contentious changes.

      "We expressed our concerns about the timing since there was no pressing need for change."

      Despite objections from several FIA member clubs, the governing body of Formula 1 has approved a set of controversial amendments to its statutes. Many perceived the changes proposed by president Mohammed Ben Sulayem as an effort to strengthen his position ahead of Carlos Sainz senior potentially challenging him in the upcoming December elections. The Austrian newspaper Krone reported that the amendments would, among other things, make the election process more stringent by shortening the application period. Another amendment lowered the maximum age for an FIA president from 75 to 70, which notably excludes former F1 team leader David Richards. The Austrian automobile club OAMTC voiced its opposition to the changes through a formal letter, cautioning about a "dark period of democratic backsliding." Nevertheless, despite support for the objection from organizations in the UK, Belgium, Portugal, and Switzerland, it was dismissed, and Ben Sulayem’s amendments passed with what an FIA representative described as an "overwhelming majority." OAMTC chief Oliver Schmerold told Krone: "It's very unfortunate. We expressed our concerns about the timing since there was no pressing need for change and no opportunity for discussion." However, the FIA spokesperson maintains that the statute changes are the result of a clear "democratic process."