Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, has reportedly been threatened with legal action just days before the 2025 season gets underway.
Next weekend, the 2025 campaign will begin with the Australian Grand Prix, with the race taking place around Albert Park in Melbourne on March 16.
The upcoming season has been billed as one of the best of all time, with multiple teams in with a chance of winning the title.
However, ahead of the much-anticipated return of F1, the sport's governing body has been warned over possible legal action.
FIA 'threatened' with legal action ahead of 2025 F1 season
As reported by the BBC, the chairman of Motorsport UK, David Richards, has threatened the FIA with legal action over governing concerns.
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In a letter which was directed at the members of Motorsport UK - a member of the FIA, Richards stated that the governing body's actions under current president Mohammed Ben Sulayem are 'in breach of its own statutes and that its actions fall short of gold-standard levels of transparency, accountability and integrity in sports governance'.
The 72-year-old, who previously served as an F1 team boss, said that he looks to 'remind the FIA of their responsibilities and hold them to account on behalf of the sport and their members worldwide'.
BBC's report read: "Richards' letter references the number of controversies that have embroiled Ben Sulayem since he was elected in December 2021.
"These have included his views on women, his approach to F1, changes to the statutes reducing accountability, the dismissal of a number of senior figures and rule changes regarding F1 drivers' public behaviour."
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Richards wrote: "Our Motorsport UK lawyers, along with our French legal counsel, have challenged the FIA on their actions by setting out a clear set of questions that the FIA leadership needs to answer.
"It is very disappointing to report that we have still not received an answer to these or the fundamental question I raised: where in the FIA Statutes does it provide for an elected member to be barred from a meeting?"
He continued: "We have informed the FIA that, unless they address the issues we've raised, we will be engaging in further legal action."
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The main concerns that Richards raised were:
- Everything was now considered confidential, without any qualification, preventing me from necessarily sharing what I considered to be relevant information.
- The FIA, at its own discretion, could decide if anyone breached the terms of the new confidentiality agreement with no process or frame of reference.
- There was an immediate fine of 50,000 euros for any breach and a threat of undisclosed damages.
SPORTbible has contacted the FIA for comment.
Marcus Chan