Shaila-Ann Rao returns to FIA as President Mohammed Ben Sulayem appoints her as Advisor

Shaila-Ann Rao has returned to the FIA for the third time, this time in the elite post of Advisor to the FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The announcement was made by the FIA on Wednesday, and she will officially begin work on May 1. She had earlier worked for the FIA as Legal Director for two years, from 2016 to 2018, and returned in 2022 in the post of Interim Secretary General for Motorsport before leaving within five months.
Shaila-Ann Rao will be advising the FIA President on multiple issues, including regulatory and commercial matters related to the seven FIA World Championships.
On Rao’s appointment, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said in a statement: “I am delighted to welcome back Shaila-Ann Rao to the FIA. She has an exceptional record in global motor sport and will be a great asset to me and my team as we continue to improve the regulatory and commercial frameworks across all the FIA World Championships, benefiting our drivers, teams, and FIA Member Clubs. She will also advise me on matters related to all the FIA World Championship promoters.”
Opening up about her return to the FIA, Shaila-Ann Rao said, “I am looking forward to advising the FIA President across the FIA World Championships and building on the significant progress that has already been made during his Presidential term, strengthening the Championships’ regulatory and commercial frameworks. The FIA holds a unique place in global sport, and I am excited to support the FIA at this time and to help the FIA President deliver an even stronger future for motor sport.”
According to the FIA, Rao’s appointment comes at a time when the governing body “continues its successful organisational transformation and financial reform, reflected in forecasted 2024 operation results of €2.2m in contrast to the -€24m that was inherited in 2021.”
Also Read: FIA deputy president Robert Reid resigns, says “I have witnessed steady erosion of principles"
Meanwhile, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem continues to face allegations of lacking transparency in decision-making. Recently, FIA Deputy President Robert Reid resigned along with a powerful statement in which he said, “I have witnessed steady erosion of principles” as “decisions are being made behind closed doors.”