Exit of FIA’S Robyn adds to pressure on Ben Sulayem
Motorsport’s world governing body, the FIA, has been hit by another high-profile departure, with chief executive Natalie Robyn leaving her role after just 18 months.
The FIA said in a statement yesterday that the American had left her role “by mutual consent”.
Telegraph Sport understands her relationship with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem had become strained.
A former car industry executive for Volvo, Nissan and Daimlerchrysler, Robyn was appointed the first CEO in the FIA’S history in late 2022. Her recruitment was described at the time by Ben Sulayem as “a transformative moment for our federation”.
Robyn, who will leave her post at the end of the month, joins a grow*ing
list of senior executive departures, with sporting director Steve Nielsen, single-seater technical director Tim Goss and head of the commission for women Deborah Mayer all leaving in the past few months alone.
Going further back, two secretary generals, one interim secretary general, and members of the ethics and technical committees have all departed since Ben Sulayem took over as president in December 2021. While none has spoken publicly, Telegraph Sport has spoken to many current and former FIA employees who describe a “culture of fear” within the governing body.
Ben Sulayem, 62, a former rally driver from the United Arab Emirates,
has been involved in a series of controversies since being elected just weeks after the controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen won his maiden world championship. His relationship with F1 has been strained from the start, with the two bodies negotiating a new Concorde Agreement, the commercial pact that binds the sport’s stakeholders.
Ben Sulayem was cleared earlier this year by the FIA’S ethics
committee of accusations from a whistleblower that he had interfered in races in Saudi Arabia and Las Vegas last season.
He is being taken to court in France by Susie Wolff, the managing director of the all-female F1 Academy series, over the FIA’S conflict-of-interest inquiry into her relationship with Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff.
In a statement, the FIA said: “Natalie’s appointment to the role of CEO marked a milestone, leveraging her 18-year career encompassing roles within both the automotive and finance sectors. Her decision to pursue opportunities outside of the FIA has prompted her departure from the organisation by mutual agreement.”