A great Emirati achievement .. Mohammed bin Sulayem, President of the International Automobile Federation
Emirati Mohammed bin Sulayem was elected president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) on Friday, succeeding Frenchman Jean Todt, who has held his position since 2009. The
former Middle East rally champion received 61.62 percent of the vote, while his only British rival, Graham Stocker, received 36.62 percent.
The 198 voting members (245 in all but some without voting rights) elected Ben Sulayem for the next four years in Paris, where the FIA is based.
Bin Sulayem, 60, who was the FIA's vice president for the Middle East, became the first non-European president to take over the presidency of the highest body supervising motor sport since its founding in 1904.
In a statement published recently on the “Motor Sport” website, the former Emirati champion said, “Motorsports has given me a lot, most of my life.” He added, “As a driver for twenty years, I won 14 times in the Middle East Rally Championship, and then received an organizational position "Motorsport in my home country. I think it's time to give that back to the sport and the Fédération Internationale."
Bin Sulayem, who also heads the UAE Automobile Federation, revealed that he is enthusiastic "to bring about change and improvement, to follow the same path and to improve as well."
Bin Sulayem faced a competition with the person of Stalker, the 69-year-old who in turn is one of Todd's deputies and is considered the right hand of the latter, after he became since 2009 the vice president of "FIA" for this sport.
Since 1985 the Sports Dispute Solicitor has risen the ranks of the motorsport federations, both nationally in the UK and internationally.
Todd leaves his post after three terms during which he oversaw several changes to the laws of the Formula One and rally world championships in particular.
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