The FIA lifted its ban on Russian and Belarusian competitors last week. Quietly. Without, it seems, bothering to consult the country currently being bombed by one of those nations. Now Ukraine’s government has written to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem demanding the decision be reversed, and frankly, it is hard to argue with them.
What the FIA Actually Did
Following a vote by the World Motor Sport Council, the FIA removed the restrictions that had barred Russian and Belarusian drivers, officials, and competitors from international motorsport since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The FIA was keen to frame it as simply following the International Olympic Committee’s lead and aligning with other sporting federations. Convenient cover, that.
The ban on hosting events inside Russia and Belarus remains in place. Small mercies.
Ukraine’s Response
The head of the Ukrainian automobile federation confirmed that the country’s Minister of Youth and Sports had written directly to Ben Sulayem and the World Motor Sport Council, requesting the decision be reconsidered. The federation’s language was pointed and worth reading carefully.
“As a result of the full-scale aggression by the Russian Federation with the assistance of the Republic of Belarus, Ukrainian motorsport has suffered significant losses, with a large number of our motorsport competitors having been killed during this war, and that such circumstances simply cannot be disregarded when considering decisions of this nature.” – Ukrainian Automobile Federation
The federation also warned the decision could have a “counterproductive effect” on the integrity of competitions. That is diplomatic language for: this looks terrible and you know it.
Russia’s President Is Already Celebrating
Boris Romanovich Rotenberg, president of the Russian Automobile Federation and a man who sits on both the US and UK sanctions lists, wasted no time declaring victory. He called it the result of “huge diplomatic work” and suggested sport and culture should remain outside politics. Rich, given the circumstances.
Multiple sources indicated the decision was driven by Ben Sulayem personally, which raises obvious questions about how this passed through the World Motor Sport Council with so little apparent scrutiny.
The Bigger Picture
The FIA says it will “continue to monitor the situation closely” and reserves the right to update its position. That kind of vague language rarely translates into meaningful action. Ukraine is still at war. Its motorsport competitors have died in that war. The FIA’s timing, and its justification, deserves far more scrutiny than it is getting.
Whether Ben Sulayem faces any real pressure to reverse course remains to be seen. Based on recent history with the FIA, do not hold your breath.
