The World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) has responsibility for all aspects of international motor sport: calendars, regulations, standards, safety, and development of the sport at every level.
In 2023, the WMSC met four times. The first meeting took place at the beginning of March at the FIA Formula One World Championship season opener, the Bahrain Grand Prix. There, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem told Council members that the FIA’s “objective is to deliver on the promise of making motor sport affordable and accessible for all,” and that “we look forward to continuing our strong collaboration with Council members and putting the focus on the development of emerging motor sport markets.” He reaffirmed that, in line with his manifesto, the organisation was committed to doubling motor sport participation and a focus on expanding diversity, through increased engagement with FIA Member Clubs.
He also announced the launch of the FIA White Paper on online abuse. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said: “The FIA recognises that this phenomenon has become a plague on our sport. We are committed to a zero-tolerance approach to bring about meaningful change through collaborative action. We must all promote a safe, respectful sporting environment on the racetrack – and on social media. We must work together to ensure things change for the better.”
We are committed to a zero-tolerance approach to bring about meaningful change through collaborative action. We must all promote a safe, respectful sporting environment on the racetrack – and on social media. We must work together to ensure things change for the better.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem
FIA President
The Council’s second meeting took place during the week of the FIA Conference in Cordoba, Spain in June. As well as announcing that all 10 Formula 1 teams have achieved three-star FIA Environmental Accreditation, the FIA President also outlined the United Against Online Abuse campaign’s strong progress over the past few months.
The year’s penultimate meeting took place in Geneva, with members joining both in person and online. At this meeting, the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship and ABB FIA Formula E World Championship calendars were approved, while the FIA World Endurance Championship’s enhanced qualifying format and new LMGT3 Technical Regulations were validated. New terminology for FIA Cross-Country Rallying disciplines was also agreed. As part of the FIA knowledge-led approach, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem mentioned the launch of two FIA University Programmes: The Motorsport Leadership and Management and the Certificate in Modern Sport Governance.
The final meeting of 2023 took place in Baku, Azerbaijan during the FIA General Assemblies Week. The Council approved updates to the FIA Formula One World Championship Technical Regulations to protect drivers during races in extremely hot conditions, while in the FIA World Rally Championship, FIA Deputy President for Sport Robert Reid spoke about progress and meetings around the dedicated Rally Working Group. The Council also approved the recommendation of the WRC Commission to appoint Hankook as the official tyre partner and supplier to the FIA World Rally Championship for a three-year-period starting in 2025.
WMSC in Bahrain: “2023 will be a year of delivery”
WMSC hears of significant progress in Cordoba
FIA announces WMSC decisions in Geneva
