Ukraine asks FIA to reverse return of Russian and Belarusian drivers

Ukraine's government has asked motorsport's governing body, the FIA, to reconsider its decision to allow Russian and Belarusian individuals back into international competition. BBC Sport reported that Ukraine's Minister of Youth and Sports wrote to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem seeking a reversal of the change.

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The FIA lifted its ban on Russian and Belarusian drivers, national teams, competitors and officials last week. The restrictions had been in place since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with Belarus supporting Russia. The latest move reopens a route into international motorsport for affected individuals under the FIA's revised rules.

According to BBC Sport, multiple sources said the World Motor Sport Council adopted the change at Ben Sulayem's request. The Ukrainian automobile federation said the decision came as a complete surprise and confirmed that the minister had asked both the FIA president and the council to reconsider it.

The Ukrainian federation argued that the consequences of the war could not be separated from the decision. It said Ukrainian motorsport had suffered significant losses and that numerous competitors from the country had been killed. The federation also warned that lifting the restrictions could have a counterproductive effect on the integrity of competitions, even while acknowledging that the FIA's approach was consistent with recent International Olympic Committee decisions.

The FIA said its updated requirements followed a World Motor Sport Council vote, an IOC announcement on July 7 and similar changes by other international sports federations. However, the governing body said its prohibition on staging events and competitions in Russia and Belarus remains in force. It added that it continues to monitor the situation in Ukraine and may revise its position again.

Russian Automobile Federation president Boris Romanovich Rotenberg, who is on United States and United Kingdom sanctions lists, welcomed the FIA's decision in a statement published by his federation. He credited diplomatic work by the Russian body and described restoration of its FIA membership as an important step toward returning Russia to motorsport decision-making. The FIA has not indicated in the reporting that it will grant Ukraine's request, leaving the policy dispute unresolved.