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<\/p>\nIt\u2019s February: Formula One is hosting a lavish season launch event at the O2 Arena, signalling its newfound place at the heart of popular culture.<\/p>\n
Various livery launches \u2013 ranging from sleek to ridiculous \u2013 and Jack Whitehall\u2019s one-liners punctuate the night, but one moment stands out. A tribute to the safety work carried out by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) begins, but it is immediately met by an unmistakable chorus of boos from the attending fans.<\/p>\n
Dissatisfaction with the motorsport governing body has always existed in some form, but rarely has there been such a public display of defiance.<\/p>\n
Nothing encapsulated the current sentiment toward the FIA more. With the organisation increasingly seen as the foil to Formula One on the global stage, its position in the minds of fans is deteriorating as the sport continues to grow.<\/p>\n
Googling \u2018FIA controversy\u2019 means being met with a flood of articles outlining the many recent issues with the organisation. Some criticism is justified, while some is less so. But the court of public opinion has seemingly made its judgment on the FIA.<\/p>\n
Now, the governing body seeks a closing statement that can begin to reverse this perception.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The FIA was booed by fans at Formula One\u2019s season launch event at the O2 Arena earlier this year (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\u2018Referees aren\u2019t always liked\u2019<\/p>\n
As a governing body, the FIA faces a complex challenge \u2013 despite efforts to modernise its image, a certain level of animosity will likely persist.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy role is to make sure the right narrative is being shared with our stakeholders and I think where we\u2019ve had the most success has been around telling the true story behind the FIA,\u201d Craig Edmondson, chief commercial officer of the FIA, tells BlackBook Motorsport.<\/p>\n
\u201cHistorically, it\u2019s been regulation which is always going to be a difficult piece because you\u2019re effectively the referee quite often, and referees aren\u2019t always liked, but it\u2019s absolutely essential for sport because you need integrity and credibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yet, Austria\u2019s national motoring club, the OAMTC, accused the FIA of lacking exactly that in a letter to the governing body<\/a> ahead of a vote which passed a controversial set of amendments to FIA statutes in June.<\/p>\n The FIA also came under fire from its former deputy president Robert Reid, one of a number of high-profile departures, who resigned in April<\/a> and accused the organisation of a \u201cbreakdown in governance standards\u201d.<\/p>\n It\u2019s perhaps a sensitive topic for those still working at the FIA, but Edmondson doesn\u2019t shy away from discussing those that have left recently.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going through a transformation,\u201d he says. \u201cLet\u2019s be clear, I didn\u2019t join the FIA to manage the status quo.<\/p>\n \u201cThat transformation is not always going to be right for everybody. It\u2019s a clearly defined strategy with a structure and a resourcing plan that\u2019s built around it which is fundamentally aligned with a need for expertise and experience that can deliver against that plan.<\/p>\n \u201cNaturally, new people are going to be joining the FIA who align with that. But unfortunately some people have left the organisation to find new opportunities because their skillset and expertise is maybe better aligned with other organisations than the new direction of travel for the FIA.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018We want to operate like other sports organisations\u2019<\/p>\n This latest direction for the FIA has taken the form of a new London office, so new that BlackBook Motorsport visited on the first day its doors opened. Situated in Knightsbridge, the space is stylish and modern \u2013 two qualities the FIA is currently rarely associated with.<\/p>\n The organisation has its work cut out to evolve substantially, at least in the short term. However, hope emerges in the form of Formula One, which is now unrecognisable from the outdated operation it was just ten years ago.<\/p>\n The FIA will struggle to follow the digital-first pathway forged by the Liberty Media-owned series, but it can look to Formula One\u2019s commercial overhaul for inspiration \u2013 and that\u2019s exactly what the governing body is doing.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to change the way that we\u2019re operating from a commercial perspective, and it included appointments like myself, and this [office] is a natural next step to be in the places where those in motorsport want to do business,\u201d says Edmondson.<\/p>\n Edmondson joined the FIA in September 2023, having spent almost 15 years with English soccer\u2019s Premier League, including as head of marketing and commercial. Before being appointed by the FIA, he held positions at sports tech unicorn Zwift, pioneering all-female motorsport championship W Series, and esports organisation Fnatic.<\/p>\n That background is the antithesis of what the FIA is known for. As a regulatory body, its innovations in safety and technology have been incredible, but the global federation has been slow to break new ground elsewhere.<\/p>\n \u201cQuite rightly, there\u2019s been a focus on the regulatory side and, in particular, safety for motorsport, as well as representing the interests of our mobility clubs and building out benefits for society,\u201d explains Edmondson.<\/p>\n \u201cOff the back of that, it was really clear there\u2019s a lot more to the organisation. We wanted to operate more like other organisations and rights holders within their sector. The FIA for motorsport are the equivalent of Fifa or the IOC [International Olympic Committee].\u201d<\/p>\n New structure, new operating model, new team<\/p>\n Commercially, the FIA has come to life after many barren years. The next step is ensuring this momentum remains consistent for the organisation.<\/p>\n 2024 marked the strongest financial performance<\/a> for the FIA in eight years with an operating profit of \u20ac4.7 million (US$5.3 million). This ended five straight years of operating losses, laying a solid foundation for future growth.<\/p>\n As a nonprofit organisation, any profit the FIA makes must be reinvested into the motorsport industry.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a common misconception that nonprofits don\u2019t aim to make a profit. In reality, the FIA must operate as a fiscally responsible entity to achieve its goals and, since it doesn\u2019t have shareholders, revenue isn\u2019t distributed \u2013 which is why FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem doesn\u2019t receive a salary.<\/p>\n In this context, an overhauled commercial strategy should, in theory, only benefit the FIA and the wider motorsport industry.<\/p>\n So recent is this commercial drive that Edmondson notes there wasn\u2019t even a commercial team when he first joined.<\/p>\n \u201cI was given the opportunity to establish a new department, which means that we needed a new strategy,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cI drew upon all of my experiences from working in the startup and growth phase but also took on the fundamentals of 14 years operating at the Premier League and how it was working with the biggest broadcasters, the biggest global sponsors, the biggest licensees like EA Sports.<\/p>\n \u201cI brought all of that to the FIA, documented a new strategy and a new approach. This is an entirely new strategy which requires an entirely new structure, an entirely new operating model and an entirely new team.\u201d<\/p>\n
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