By Alan Baldwin
LONDON (Reuters) – Formula One’s governing body announced two senior appointments after headline departures triggered talk of an exodus from the International Automobile Federation (FIA) led by Emirati Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
The FIA said on Wednesday Spaniard Alberto Villarreal had joined as general manager, reporting to Ben Sulayem and Senate President Carmelo Sanz de Barros, in a role “bringing leadership to the FIA Administration”.
He effectively takes over from Natalie Robyn, the FIA’s first CEO who left in May after serving for just 18 months, although the job has become more streamlined since her departure.
Robyn was the fourth senior employee to depart since December with sporting director Steve Nielsen, single-seater technical director Tim Goss and women’s commission head Deborah Mayer all leaving before her.
Media reports of an exodus were further fuelled by the departures of the director of communications, secretary general of mobility, head of commercial legal affairs and the governance and regulatory director.
The FIA said Italian Alessandra Malhame was also joining as senior HR director.
Ben Sulayem took over as president of the FIA at the end of 2021 and is expected to stand for a second term at an election next year.
The former rally driver has made plenty of headlines, clashing with commercial rights holders Liberty Media and drivers on a number of issues even after saying in early 2023 that he intended to step away from day-to-day involvement in Formula One to focus on strategic matters.
Most recently he compared drivers to rappers and asked them to cut down on bad language, with Red Bull’s triple champion Max Verstappen ordered to carry out community service for swearing at a Singapore Grand Prix press conference.
Ben Sulayem had pledged in his first election manifesto to appoint a CEO “to provide an integrated and aligned operation” as well as a revised governance framework.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
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