Ukraine Asks FIA to Reconsider Russia and Belarus Motorsport Decision

Ukraine's government has formally asked the FIA to reconsider its decision to lift restrictions on Russian and Belarusian competitors in international motorsport. The request was sent by Ukraine's Minister of Youth and Sports to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and the World Motor Sport Council, according to a statement from the head of Ukraine's automobile federation seen by BBC Sport.

Watch the highlights:

The FIA changed its policy last week, ending a ban on individuals from Russia and Belarus that had been in place since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. BBC Sport reported that multiple sources said the World Motor Sport Council made the decision at Ben Sulayem's request. The Ukrainian federation said the change came as a complete surprise.

Ukraine's appeal argues that the decision should be reconsidered in light of the continuing war and its effect on the country's motorsport community. The federation said Ukrainian motorsport had sustained significant losses and that competitors had been killed during the conflict. It also warned that the change could work against the integrity of competitions, even though it acknowledged that the FIA's position was consistent with recent International Olympic Committee decisions.

The FIA said its updated requirements cover Russian and Belarusian drivers, national teams, competitors and officials following a World Motor Sport Council vote. It linked the revision to an IOC announcement on July 7 and similar steps by other international sports federations. The governing body did not indicate in its response that it would immediately reopen the matter.

Important restrictions remain in place. The FIA said it continues to prohibit events and competitions from being organised in Russia and Belarus. It also said it is monitoring developments in Ukraine and retains the option to revise its position again, leaving the policy open to future change without committing to a timetable.

The Russian Automobile Federation welcomed the decision. Its president, Boris Romanovich Rotenberg, described the move as the product of diplomatic work by his federation and presented it as a restoration of Russia's role in international motorsport governance. BBC Sport noted that Rotenberg remains on sanctions lists maintained by both the United States and the United Kingdom. Ukraine's request now places the issue back before the FIA and its World Motor Sport Council, but no formal review or vote has yet been announced.