The FIA has lost two of its senior figures with the resignations of communications director Luke Skipper and mobility secretary Jacob Bangsgaard.
Both individuals are reported to be leaving the FIA to pursue other interests, coinciding with a period where the leadership style of FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has come under scrutiny. Ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, Ben Sulayem sparked controversy by calling on drivers to curse less, followed by Max Verstappen protesting against a penalty for swearing during a press conference.
Ben Sulayem has also targeted the British media, claiming he has been treated as a ‘convict’ by them.
While no official statement has been made regarding the reasons for Skipper and Bangsgaard’s departures, both were high-profile figures within the FIA. Their resignations come after a series of significant exits from the FIA over the past 12 months. Last winter, sporting director Steve Nielsen and single-seater technical director Tim Goss also resigned.
These departures followed shortly after Deborah Mayer stepped down as head of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission. In February, it was revealed that governance and regulatory director Pierre Ketterer and head of commercial legal affairs Edward Floydd, who participated in Concorde Agreement negotiations on behalf of the FIA, had also left.
In May, Natalie Robyn, the FIA’s first CEO, announced her departure from the governing body to pursue other opportunities. Robyn had been appointed by Ben Sulayem in November 2022 as part of a significant effort to reform the organization’s governance structure.
