The first female CEO of Formula One’s governing body, Natalie Robyn, has announced that she is leaving the role, after just 18 months in charge.
She was originally appointed to the position in November 2022, in what was described as a “transformative moment” for the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile by president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who intended to reform the management structure of the organisation.
On her departure, a statement from Sulayem detailed how her “ appointment was notable as the first CEO in the history of the FIA” and that “she has contributed greatly to a wide-ranging reorganisation of our operational and management structure as well as our financial sustainability.”
As one of the most senior female executives in motorsport, Robyn’s installation as CEO was groundbreaking, but it's said that she has told the organisation that she’s stepping away, by mutual agreement, come the end of May, to pursue opportunities elsewhere.
🚨BREAKING: The FIA must now search for a new CEO as Natalie Robyn has chosen to step down and pursue a new opportunity. This departure marks another setback for the governing body, as other key figures have also left in recent months.
In a statement released Wednesday… pic.twitter.com/Hr0rlHTcP6— This is Formula 1 (@ThisIsFormu1a1) May 9, 2024
She has refers to her time as CEO of the FIA as “an enormous privilege” and that she is “grateful to have directed a programme of restructuring and reform.”
“Now is the time to step away in the knowledge that the organisation is better placed for the challenges which lie ahead,” she says.
Her resignation marks the fourth senior employee to exit the organisation since December.
These withdrawals include those of the the sporting director, Steve Nielsen, the single-seater technical director, Tim Goss, and the women’s commission head, Deborah Mayer.
It comes as Sulayem continues to be entangled in a in a series of controversies since his election in December 2021.
In just March, he was accused by a whistle-blower of interfering in races in Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia last season, although those charges were dismissed when the committee found “no evidence” to support the claims.
The FIA also continues to face legal action over a conflict of interest inquiry brought by Susie Wolff, the director of the all-female F1 Academy support series and the wife of Toto Wolff, a majority stakeholder in Mercedes.
The dynamic between Liberty Media-owned Formula One and the FIA is said to have decayed last year, with the two organisations at odds over a variety of issues, including a possible expansion to 11 teams.
Pleased to advance the @fia plans to grow motorsport and mobility via China during my visit to Beijing and Shanghai last week. This includes the launch of FIA’s Weibo channel, the Chinese social media platform. I am very optimistic for our future in China. pic.twitter.com/Oz3J8reCDT
— Mohammed Ben Sulayem (@Ben_Sulayem) April 25, 2024
