Motorsport UK chief Richards among those barred from FIA meeting

Two senior motorsport figures were prevented from attending a meeting on Wednesday after refusing to sign non-disclosure agreements.

FIA deputy president for sport Robert Reid and UK representative David Richards were not admitted to a World Motor Sport Council meeting, chaired by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

It is believed the reason for them being barred related to a refusal from both Reid and Richards, as well as others, to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) as part of a stricter protocol on FIA meetings.

Ben Sulayem has courted plenty of controversy in recent months and has spoken out about what he believes is British media bias against his reign as head of the world governing body.

He has also spoken out about drivers swearing, while telling them how he runs the FIA is “none of their business”, while the FIA has also written a set of revisions that would change the way its leadership can be deemed responsible for bad governance.

Speaking to the BBC last year, Richards – who is also the chairman of Motorsport UK – said he was “concerned that major organisations around the world would refuse to work with the FIA if it did not reflect the highest standards of corporate governance, as befits of sport”.

Ben Sulayem is seeking re-election when the presidency is decided later this year and just last week said Formula 1 should work to reintroduce V10 engines into the series.

“As is routine in all organisations, the FIA implements procedures including non-disclosure agreements to ensure confidential relationships between all parties, to safeguard personal information, and to protect our regulatory interests,” an FIA spokesperson said.

“Unauthorised disclosure of confidential information undermines our ability to fully fulfil our mission and adversely impacts our capabilities to generate revenues to support our member clubs in our shared objective of growing motorsport participation, increasing accessibility, and cultivating innovation.

“The steps we have taken to preserve confidentiality have been overwhelmingly supported by a super majority of WMSC members.”

An NDA would prevent anyone who attends an FIA meeting from divulging any details of what is discussed within it.

It has been reported that legal letters have been exchanged following the expulsion of those unwilling to sign an NDA ahead of the meeting of the world council.

Within that meeting, it was announced that the F1 Monaco Grand Prix will now have two mandatory pitstops during a race.