From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile,
commonly referred to as the FIA, is a non-profit
association established as the Association Internationale des
Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR) on June 20, 1904 to represent the
interests of motoring organisations and motor car users. To the
general public, the FIA is mostly known as the governing body for
many motor racing events.
Headquartered at 8, Place de la Concorde, Paris,
the FIA consists of 213 national member organisations in 125
countries worldwide.[1] Its
current president is Jean
Todt.
As is the case with football's FIFA, the FIA is generally known by its French name and
acronym, even in English-speaking countries, but is
occasionally rendered as International Automobile
Federation.
Its most prominent role is in the licencing and arbitration of
Formula One motor
racing. The FIA, along with the FIM also
certify land
speed record attempts.
History
The Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus
(AIACR) was founded in Paris on June 20, 1904.
In 1922, the FIA delegated the organisation of automobile racing
to the Commission Sportive Internationale (CSI), an autonomous
committee that later became the Fédération
Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA). A restructuring of
the FIA in 1993 led to the disappearance of the FISA, putting motor
racing under direct management of the FIA.
Event
history
In 1946 the true history of Formula One began with the Fédération
Internationale de l'Automobile's (FIA's) standardisation of
rules.
In 1950, the FIA organised the
first World Championship for Drivers, known today as the Formula One World
Championship for Drivers.
In 1953, the FIA created the World Sportscar
Championship, the first points series for sports car
racing in the world. This championship, under various names,
was solely for manufacturers up to and including 1980. From 1981, a
Drivers' Championship title was also awarded and from 1985 the
manufacturers' title was replaced by a Teams Championship. The last
World Sportscar Championship titles were awarded in 1992.
In 1973, the FIA organised the
first World Rally Championship. The 42nd
Auto Rally of Monte-Carlo became the first ever FIA World Rally Championship
event.
In 1987, the FIA sanctioned the first World Touring Car
Championship. Initially a one-off series, the title was revived
in 2005.
In 1993, the National Hot Rod
Association was officially recognised by the FIA World Motorsports
Council and the FIA Drag Racing Commission was formed. FISA was
dissolved, and its activities placed directly under the FIA.
Organisational structure
The FIA General Assembly is The Federation's supreme governing
body, consisting of the presidents of the FIA's numerous member
clubs.
The head of the FIA and chairman of the General Assembly is the
President. The President is elected to a four-year term by the FIA
General Assembly, and from October 2005 onward will not be
permitted to serve more than two terms. The previous President, who
took office in 1993 and began his fourth term in 2005, is Max Mosley. Mosley did
not stand for re-election in October 2009, with Jean Todt being
elected president.[2]
The 10-member FIA Senate consists the President of the Senate;
the current and previous Presidents of the FIA; the Deputy
President for the FIA Mobility and the Automobile group; the Deputy
President for FIA Sport group; and five further members elected by
the General Assembly. From FIA Statue #17: "The Senate takes the
decisions required by the management of the FIA when circumstances
do not permit a meeting of the Committee or of the World Councils,
especially in cases of emergency; decisions thus taken must be
confirmed during the next meeting of the Committee or of the
relevant World Council."
The Senate also makes accounting and budget decisions, preparing
draft budgets for the World Councils. The Senate forms
sub-Committees on subjects such as Commercial Promotions, in order
to make recommendations and review proposals.
The FIA World Council for Mobility and the Automobile governs
all non-sporting FIA activities, and is headed by the Deputy
President for Mobility and the Automobile.
The FIA World Motor Sport
Council governs all the sporting events regulated by the FIA.
It is also responsible for the promotion of safety in worldwide
motorsport, the encouragement of standardized regulations, and the
promotion of motorsport in new markets, including developing
countries. The council consists of the FIA President, and Deputy
President, seven FIA vice-presidents, and 17 other members. The
seventeen others must represent a national sporting authority for
at least one international event.
The FIA International Court of Appeal is the final appeal
tribunal for international motor sport. It resolves disputes
brought before it by any of motorsport’s National Sporting
Authorities worldwide, or by the President of the FIA. It can also
settle non-sporting disputes brought by national motoring
organizations affiliated to the FIA.
Other organisations and posts include the Mobility and
Automobile commissions, sporting commissions, the FIA Deputy
President for Sport, and the FIA Secretariat.
Presidents
Criticism
In June 1999, the EU commission opened an investigation in to
the FIA over anti-competitive behaviour in the protection of FIA
sanctioned series. A settlement was reached in June 2001 [3]
Martin
Brundle wrote a column in the Sunday Times
entitled "Witch-hunt threatens to spoil world title race" in this
he accused the FIA of a witch-hunt against McLaren. The World Motor Sport Council has
responded by issuing a writ against the Sunday Times on charges of
libel [4].
Brundle hit back saying that "I have earned the right to have an
opinion" and suggesting the writ was a "warning sign to other
journalists"[5]. The 2007 Formula One
espionage controversy involved accusations of theft made
against McLaren, who were accused of stealing technological secrets
from Ferrari.
In 2008, accusations surfaced that FIA President Max Mosley was
involved in scandalous sexual behavior. Following a June, 2008
decision of the FIA to retain Max Mosley as president, the German
branch of the FIA, the ADAC (the
largest European motoring body), announced, "We view with regret
and incredulity the FIA general assembly's decision in Paris,
confirming Max Mosley in office as FIA president." It froze all its
activities with the FIA until Max Mosley leaves office. [6] Press
reports also claimed that Bernie Ecclestone was investigating
creating a rival to the Formula 1 series due to the scandal.
On June 24, 2009, following a dispute between the FIA and the
newly-created Formula One Teams
Association (FOTA), the parties finally came to an agreement
over the future of F1, part of which is that Max Mosley stepped down as FIA President in
October 2009 and will not stand for re-election. A new Concorde
Agreement was subsequently signed on July 31.[7]
References
See also
External
links