Wilson nominated as FIA deputy president for sport

Malcolm Wilson, the head of the world’s top rally teams, has been chosen as the FIA’s new deputy president for sport.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the FIA, has chosen the 69-year-old to replace Robert Reid, who left last week.

Wilson’s nomination will be decided at the organization’s General Assembly in Macau in June.

Wilson, a former British rally champion, is currently managing director of M-Sport, which oversees Ford’s world rally championship program since 1997.

Reid left after witnessing what he termed “a fundamental breakdown in governance within motorsport’s global governing body.”

His decision came after a number of controversy-plagued incidents involving Ben Sulayem, particularly those that critics of him refer to as the FIA’s alleged rift and the president’s concentrated power.

Former FIA CEO Natalie Robyn resigned following Reid’s resignation, breaking her silence about leaving the organization last summer after only 18 months in the position.

Robyn “worked under challenging circumstances to strengthen the federation’s governance framework and improve its operational transparency,” Robyn claimed to BBC Sport.

She added that Reid’s departure “clearly indicates there are serious ongoing structural challenges,” adding that “when stakeholders are excluded from decision-making, it undermines the foundation of a strong organization.”

In a statement from the FIA, Wilson said: “Malcolm has had a distinguished career in global motorsport.

He has driven teams and served as a technical partner for over 40 years.

As we continue to develop grassroots and professional motorsport, inciting innovation in the sport to benefit fans, drivers, and teams, the FIA and our member clubs will benefit greatly from this knowledge.

Wilson claimed in a statement that being nominated for the role was a “great honor.”

Wilson continued, “I look forward to supporting the president and the entire FIA family in its, its, important, and mission.

There has never been a more exciting time for motorsport, and I am aware of the benefits the sport brings to both domestic and international communities.

“I  look forward to working with the president to bring our sport to new audiences and ensure we deliver the very best championships for all our competitors,” said the president.