SUMMARY
- Key legal figures depart from FIA amid misconduct allegations.
- Regulatory director Pierre Ketterer and legal affairs head Edward Floydd have chosen to depart from FIA.
Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner found himself in the limelight due to the legal investigation which was launched recently. Two of the FIA’s legal chiefs departed amid accusations of “inappropriate behavior” towards a female employee by the British. The regulatory director, Pierre Ketterer, and the head of legal affairs, Edward Floydd, have decided to depart from the FIA.
As far as the reports go, Ketterer is all set to begin a new journey at the International Olympic Committee in April after spending 13 years with the FIA. He played a crucial role in representing the organization in disciplinary cases in F1 and other sports. On the other hand, Floydd acted as the main legal advisor for civil and commercial affairs.
FIA’s leading F1 figures resigned from the organization
The duo had significant roles in negotiating the Concorde Agreement for Formula 1. Under former FIA president Jean Todt, Ketterer led negotiations and shaped the FIA’s disciplinary rules in 2011. The French official contributed abundantly to creating a code of conduct during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Floydd had a crucial part in negotiating agreements with championship promoters and actively participated in Concorde negotiations.
🚨| Two members of the FIA’s legal team, pivotal in #F1 Concorde Agreement negotiations, have left the federation.
Senior lawyer Pierre Ketterer is transitioning to a position with the International Olympic Committee.
[Autosport] pic.twitter.com/HijLmeGzn9
— F1News.live (@f1newslive_) February 6, 2024
A representative of the organization stated, “The FIA has been undergoing a large-scale transformation over the past 12 months. We have created 10 new departments restructuring the Federation to be more fit for purpose for the future” the media. The departure of the 45-year-old was formally announced to teams during the F1 commission meeting for the altercation of the sprint race schedule in London.
The FIA has been busy in a restructuring process under Ben Sulayem, including the creation of a new position, chief legal officer, filled by Paul O’Dowd, previously the group general counsel at McLaren Applied.
Another departure? FIA technical director Tim Goss parts ways
The FIA has announced the departure of technical director Tim Goss, marking the exit of another senior figure from the governing body. This incident follows the resignation of sporting director Steve Nielsen in December, making him the second significant individual to leave within a month. The back-to-back resignation hints towards some serious administrative issues within the organization.
📰: Major shakeup at FIA as technical director Tim Goss exits FIA, becoming the latest key figure to depart. Goss, a crucial player focusing on 2026 regulations, leaves after the recent resignation of sporting director Steve Nielsen. FIA announces Tim Malyon as Nielsen’s… pic.twitter.com/ur1riv8UYe
— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) January 8, 2024
Goss was focusing on the 2026 regulations under single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis. However, the latter spoke to the media about the same where he said, “We are disappointed to lose a person of Tim’s caliber from the organization. Tim has played a major part in the technical department and has always operated to the highest level.”
Tombazis further added, “The department boasts a number of highly talented individuals and I believe the organization is on a firm footing in terms of technical expertise for the tasks which lie ahead – particularly the introduction of the 2026 regulations.” Earlier, Deborah Mayer, head of the FIA’s Commission for Women, chose not to renew her position.