Shaila-Ann Rao's return to the FIA after a strong association with Mercedes has raised a few eyebrows among other teams.
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The FIA nominated Shaila-Ann Rao as an interim substitute for Peter Bayer in the dual duties of secretary general for sport and F1 executive director last week. Bayer has been the former since 2017 and the latter since 2021, and was well-liked in the paddock as the primary point of contact for teams and the FIA. From 2016 to 2018, lawyer Rao worked for the FIA as its legal director.
She later joined Mercedes, where she worked as general counsel and then as a special advisor to Toto Wolff, the team’s principal. Her return to the FIA after such a strong association with Mercedes has inevitably raised a few eyebrows among other teams. Ferrari CEO Mattia Binotto has expressed reservations over the nomination of a former Mercedes Formula One team official to a high FIA position.
“I think she’s a great person. She’s got a lot of experience, she will certainly be capable of doing the job. I’m pretty sure about that. It’s a concern, but it’s only a concern. I think it’s down to them [the FIA] to make sure that there will be no conflicts of interest at all, to behave properly, and it’s down to the president to ensure it. I’ve got the trust that they will do it. As Ferrari we are concerned, but I’m pretty sure that through the behaviors, through the decisions, they will prove it’s a wrong concern.” expressed Binotto.
Toto Wolff believed that Rao was an excellent choice for the governing body and that her involvement would genuinely benefit all the teamson the grid. “As for Shaila-Ann, she was at the FIA before she joined us. She was the chief executive officer of one of the largest sports agencies before, and the positive of having Shaila-Ann in this position is that she’s one about governance, and transparency. She’s a lawyer.” Opined Wolff.
“And I think this is something that we have always criticized in the past, that things weren’t always as transparent and as clear for the teams. I think this is one of the key topics that she will be trying to implement. And that is good news for all of the teams.” Expressed the Mercedes team principal.
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Bayer’s exit was a loss for the sport, but Binotto and Wolff agreed that incoming FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem had the right to select his staff. “We worked with Peter Bayer for quite some time,” said Wolff. “And he was a rational guy. I personally enjoyed having him as a sparring partner. But the FIA is changing its structure and its organization, and then the president has to make his decisions. And we certainly shouldn’t interfere into any of those decisions. I think he has a vision about where he wants to have the FIA. And if part of that is a change of organisation, we need to respect it.” said Binotto
