Ukraine Escalates FIA Dispute as Motorsport Federation Challenges Return of Russian Drivers

Ukraine Escalates FIA Dispute as Motorsport Federation Challenges Return of Russian Drivers

The Automobile Federation of Ukraine (FAU) has taken its opposition to the FIA’s recent decision on Russian and Belarusian competitors a step further by filing a formal complaint with the governing body’s Ethics Committee.

The complaint comes after the FIA relaxed restrictions that had been imposed on Russian and Belarusian participants following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Under the revised regulations, drivers and other competitors from the two countries are once again permitted to compete internationally while displaying their national flags and colours, with their national anthems also allowed. The previous requirement for competitors to sign a neutrality commitment has also been removed.

The FAU, however, believes the FIA’s decision should be reconsidered. The Ukrainian federation has requested an urgent investigation into the Russian Automobile Federation (RAF), arguing that the organisation has been operating offices in Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia—territories Ukraine regards as sovereign Ukrainian territory.

According to the FAU, these activities potentially conflict with FIA statutes governing the recognition of national sporting authorities. The Ukrainian federation argues that only one recognised national sporting authority should exercise control over motorsport within a country’s territory, and therefore claims the RAF is improperly exercising authority in areas that fall under the FAU’s jurisdiction.

FAU president Oleksandr Feldman called on the FIA to take urgent action. The Ukrainian federation wants the Ethics Committee to open a formal investigation, determine whether the RAF has breached FIA rules and require the disputed offices to be closed.

The complaint also raises concerns about RAF president Boris Rotenberg, who remains subject to international sanctions. The FAU included this issue as part of its wider argument concerning the Russian federation’s position within the international motorsport structure.

The FIA’s relaxation of the restrictions represents a significant change from the measures introduced after the outbreak of the war in 2022. Russian and Belarusian competitors had previously been required to participate under strict neutrality conditions, including restrictions on national symbols, flags, colours and anthems. Those individual restrictions have now been removed, although international FIA competitions in Russia and Belarus remain prohibited.

The development has created a new dispute between the Ukrainian federation and motorsport’s world governing body. While the FIA has moved toward greater participation rights for Russian and Belarusian competitors, the FAU is challenging the wider circumstances surrounding the Russian federation’s activities.

The complaint now places the matter before the FIA Ethics Committee, which will be responsible for considering the allegations raised by the Ukrainian federation. At the time of reporting, neither the FIA nor the RAF had issued an immediate response to the complaint.

The case could therefore become an important test of how the FIA handles the competing questions of sporting participation, national authority and its rules concerning member federations. For now, Ukraine is demanding that the governing body investigate the allegations and reconsider the consequences of its recent decision.