Exodus continues as 2 more leave FIA

The FIA is losing two more senior figures with the director of communications, Luke Skipper, and secretary general of mobility, Jacob Bangsgaard, parting ways. It is said they are pursuing other opportunities.

Both join a chorus of departures with Steve Neilsen, Tim Goss, Deborah Mayer, and Natalie Robyn preceding them. In any other view, it would seem that the FIA is having issues retaining their best and brightest.

This all comes amidst a continuing stream of controversies initiated by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The most recent being the swearing clamp down in Singapore and now a full-throated screed against the British press.

From the outside looking in, it certainly appears that the teams and Formula 1 itself aren’t too keen on working with the FIA president these days and I am somewhat surprised a vote of no confidence hasn’t been ushered in via the member organizations of the FIA due the the constant bleeding and continued missteps.

Ben Sulayem has crowed about the programs the FIA have instituted and he would be right to do so on several but it is almost as if the FIA and the leaders over these initiatives have succeeded despite the ham-fisted leadership at the top.

Ben Sulayme seems miscast for the play or the role is beyond his grasp at some level. He’s picked the most tedious of issues to become entrenched with and it’s created a bit of a PR nightmare for the FIA.

If I have my math right, his term ends in 2025 so perhaps everyone is biding their time for a new election but I am cautious about the damage that can still be done to the organization until then. This unraveling of the FIA certainly plays right into the hands of Formula One Management who would rather manage their own affairs one assumes. The FIA members must be aware of that as well as concerned as F1 is a major revenue stream for the FIA.