Ukraine appeals to FIA Court of Appeal over lifting of Russia ban

Ukraine's Automobile Federation (FAU) has appealed to the FIA Court of Appeal against the governing body's decision to lift the ban on Russian competitors from international motorsport events, lodging the appeal three days after requesting an urgent investigation by the FIA's ethics committee.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem is the president of the FIA. The ban on individuals from Russia and Belarus had been in place since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the FIA lifted the restrictions on 3 August following the International Olympic Committee's removal of a similar ban. The FIA said it still forbids organising events and competitions in Russia and Belarus.

The FAU says its appeal is based on the Russian Automobile Federation (RAF) having opened and operating offices in regions of Ukraine occupied by Russia — Crimea, the city of Sevastopol and the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts — territories the United Nations recognises as sovereign Ukrainian territory. "The FAU further notes that the FIA World Motor Sport Council's decision to lift restrictions on Russian and Belarusian motorsport competitors effectively amounts to the FIA imposing restrictions on competitors from Ukraine and numerous partner countries that have prohibited participation in competitions where the national symbols of the aggressor state are displayed," the federation said.

Oleksandr Feldman, president of the FAU, said: "This is a flagrant breach of the FIA statutes and the International Sporting Code by the Russian Automobile Federation, which, like every FIA member organisation, is bound to comply with them. You cannot become the governing national sporting authority through drones and missiles. We call on the FIA to take urgent action to put an end to these violations and sanction the Russian Automobile Federation for its actions." The FAU stated the RAF's actions contravene FIA rules that permit only one automobile club per country.

The FAU also said 23 Ukrainian motorsport competitors and officials had been killed since Russia invaded the country and that the war had "disrupted motorsport activities and severely restricted freedom of movement throughout the country." The FAU added that the head of the RAF, Boris Rotenberg, is "directly subject to international sanctions imposed by the US, UK, EU, and other allied jurisdictions in response to aggression against Ukraine." The move to lift the ban was approved by the FIA World Motor Sport Council and, according to sources cited by BBC Sport, was proposed by Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

Following changes to the FIA statutes last year, the FIA ethics committee is now under the control of Ben Sulayem and the president of the senate, Carmelo Sanz de Barros. In an earlier statement the FIA said: "The FIA has updated the requirements for Russian and Belarusian drivers, national teams, competitors and officials following a vote by the World Motor Sport Council. This follows an announcement by the IOC on 7 July and similar updates issued by other international sporting federations. The FIA maintains its ban on organising events and competitions in Russia and Belarus. The FIA continues to monitor the situation closely in Ukraine and reserves the right to update its position in the future." The FIA has been approached for further comment.

The FAU has taken the dispute to the FIA Court of Appeal and Feldman said: "We will pursue all legal remedies available to us to restore the integrity of the motorsport system in accordance with the FIA statutes."