Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile

Abbreviation	FIA
Formation	20 June 1904; 121 years ago (1904-06-20) (as AIACR)
Type	Non-profit
Legal status	International association
Purpose	Motorists' issues Motorsports
Headquarters	Place de la Concorde
Location	Paris, France
Region served	International
Membership	240 national organisations
Official language	English French Spanish
President	Mohammed Ben Sulayem
Main organ	General Assembly
Affiliations	International Olympic Committee World Health Organization Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development World Tourism Organization UN Environment Programme

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) is a big international group. Its name means "International Automobile Federation" in English. The FIA does two main things related to cars.

First, it helps drivers and car clubs. It works to make roads safer and traffic flow better. Second, it is the main group that organizes and sets rules for many international motorsport races. This includes famous races like Formula One.

The FIA started on June 20, 1904. Its main office is in Paris, France. It also has offices in other cities like Geneva and London. The FIA has 245 member groups in 149 countries around the world. Its president is Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

The FIA is most famous for running championships like Formula One, World Rally Championship, World Endurance Championship, and Formula E. It also helps with land speed record attempts. The International Olympic Committee officially recognized the FIA in 2013.

History of the FIA

The FIA started as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR). This means "International Association of Recognized Automobile Clubs." It was founded in Paris in 1904. The group was created to help car users and to manage the growing world of motor sports.

In 1922, the AIACR created the Commission Sportive Internationale (CSI). This group was in charge of international motorsport rules. Before this, the Automobile Club de France handled these rules. The first World Manufacturers' Championship began in 1925. Later, the European Drivers' Championship started in 1931.

After Second World War, the AIACR changed its name to the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA then started new championships. The World Championship for Drivers began in 1950. The World Championship for Sports Cars started in 1953. The European Rally Championship also began in 1953. In 1963, the European Touring Car Challenge was created.

In 1962, the FIA created the Commission Internationale de Karting (CIK). This group was made to manage karting races around the world.

In 1978, the CSI changed its name to Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA). This was done to give motorsport its own governing body. Later, in 1993, FISA was ended. All motorsport activities then came under the control of the FIA's World Motor Sport Council.

In 1998, the FIA moved its main office to Geneva, Switzerland. This was a temporary move. In 2001, the FIA moved back to Paris.

In 2022, the FIA appointed its first ever CEO, Natalie Robyn. She left the role after 18 months.

How the FIA is Organized

Headquarters of the FIA at the Place de la Concorde

General Assembly

The General Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the FIA. It includes representatives from all the FIA's member groups. These groups can be car clubs or national sports authorities. There are 243 organizations from 147 countries.

The General Assembly usually meets once a year. They can also have special meetings for urgent issues. This group changes the FIA's rules, approves its budget, and elects its leaders.

Presidency

The President is the head of the FIA. The current President is Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who started in 2021. The President guides the FIA's work and represents the organization.

The President is helped by two Deputy Presidents and several Vice-Presidents. These leaders are elected for a four-year term by the General Assembly.

FIA Presidents

Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR)
Term	President	Nationality
1904–1931	Étienne van Zuylen van Nyevelt	Belgium
1931–1936	Robert de Vogüé	France
1936–1946	Jehan de Rohan-Chabot	France
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)
Term	President	Nationality
1946–1958	Jehan de Rohan-Chabot	France
1958–1963	Hadelin de Liedekerke-Beaufort	Belgium
1963–1965	Filippo Caracciolo	Italy
1965–1971	Wilfred Andrews	United Kingdom
1971–1975	Amaury de Merode	Belgium
1975–1985	Paul Alfons von Metternich-Winneburg	Austria
1985–1993	Jean-Marie Balestre	France
1993–2009	Max Mosley	United Kingdom
2009–2021	Jean Todt	France
2021–present	Mohammed Ben Sulayem	United Arab Emirates

FIA Deputy Presidents for Sport

Term	Deputy President	Nationality
Helps the FIA President as Chair of the World Motor Sport Council
1993–1997	Alfredo César Torres	Portugal
1998–2008	Marco Piccinini	Italy
2009–2021	Graham Stoker	United Kingdom
2021–2025	Robert Reid	United Kingdom
2025–	Malcolm Wilson	United Kingdom

World Councils

The FIA has two main World Councils. The World Council for Automobile Mobility and Tourism (WCAMT) handles rules for transport, road safety, and tourism. The World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) sets the rules for all sports races managed by the FIA. It also approves rules for each championship.

Senate

The FIA Senate looks after the money and business side of the FIA. It also handles general management. The Senate can make decisions between meetings of other committees.

Administration

There are Secretary Generals for Sport and Mobility. They lead the staff who help the councils and committees. A Chief Administration Officer also manages areas like legal, marketing, and finance.

Commissions and Committees

Many commissions and committees exist to help with specific areas. For example, there are groups focused on safety or different types of racing. The International Historical Commission works to preserve old cars.

An Ethics committee was also set up in 2012. This committee helps ensure fair play and good behavior.

Judiciary

The FIA has special groups that handle disputes and rule-breaking. These include the International Tribunal and the International Court of Appeal. The International Court of Appeal is the final place to resolve disagreements in international motor sport.

Sporting Rules and Governance

FIA World Motor Sport Council

The World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) makes all the big decisions for motorsport that the FIA manages. It meets at least three times a year. It decides on rules and regulations suggested by other groups.

The WMSC also talks about safety in motor sport. It guides other commissions and committees. The council includes the FIA President, the Deputy President for Sport, and other members.

World Championship Commissions

Each of the seven FIA World Championships reports directly to the WMSC. They usually suggest changes to their own rules.

WMSC Committees

Nine sporting committees report to the WMSC. These committees help manage different parts of motorsport. They may also have their own smaller groups.

2022 Ban on Russian and Belarusian Teams

In response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the FIA made some important decisions. It banned teams from Russia and Belarus from competing. It also stopped holding competitions in Russia or Belarus.

Russian and Belarusian FIA members were not allowed to hold their elected positions. However, individual drivers from Russia and Belarus could still race. They had to compete as neutral athletes, without their country's symbols or flags. The FIA also canceled the 2022 Russian Grand Prix and ended its contract to host the race.

FIA World Championships

The history of Formula One began in 1946. The FIA set rules for Formula One cars in Grand Prix motor racing. The first Grand Prix with these new rules was in Turin in 1946. In 1950, the FIA started the first World Championship for Drivers. A championship for car makers, called the World Constructors' Championship, began in 1958.

The World Sportscar Championship started in 1953. This was the first world championship for sports cars in endurance racing. The championship was mainly for car manufacturers. A Drivers Championship title was added in 1981. This championship ended in 1992. It was brought back in 2012 as the FIA World Endurance Championship.

In 1973, the FIA started the first World Rally Championship. It began with the Monte-Carlo Rally. At first, it was only for car manufacturers. A Driver's Championship title was added in 1979.

The FIA also approved the World Touring Car Championship in 1987. This was a one-time series for touring car racing. It was brought back in 2005 and ended in 2017.

In 2010, the FIA GT1 World Championship began. This championship featured one-hour sprint races for GT cars. It ended in 2012.

The FIA and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) worked together to bring back the World Sportscar Championship. It returned in 2012 as the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). It includes both sports prototypes and GT cars.

Starting in 2022, the FIA and FIM jointly approved the World Rally-Raid Championship. This new championship combined earlier cross-country rallying series.

Key: Constructor/manufacturer = The company that makes the car's main parts, like the chassis and engine. Team/entrant = The group that enters a car and driver into a race and takes care of the car.

Mobility and Tourism

Carnet de Passages en Douane

In 1913, the AIACR created the Carnet de Passages en Douane (CPD). This document helps drivers cross international borders easily. It allows them to bring their cars into other countries for a short time without paying extra taxes. The CPD acts like an insurance policy. It guarantees that customs duties will be paid if the car does not leave the country on time.

NCAP Programmes

The FIA helped start the European New Car Assessment Programme. This program crash-tests new car models. It then publishes reports on how safe these vehicles are. The FIA also helped create other similar programs around the world. These include Latin NCAP, ASEAN NCAP, and Global NCAP.

FIA Initiatives

FIA Foundation

The FIA Foundation was started in 2001. It is the FIA's charity group. This foundation received a large grant to fund research. This research focuses on road safety and how cars affect the environment. It also supports ways to make driving more sustainable.

The Make Roads Safe campaign was launched in 2006 by the FIA Foundation. Its goal is to create safe roads all over the world.

Sport Safety

After a serious accident in 1994, the FIA created a safety committee. This committee worked to make motor racing safer. They researched ways to improve car crash resistance. They also worked on better safety gear for drivers.

Their ideas led to tougher crash tests for race cars. New safety rules for helmets and race suits were also put in place. The HANS device, which protects a driver's head and neck, became required in all international races. The committee also worked to make race tracks safer. This led to changes in crash barriers and medical procedures at tracks.

FIA Institute

The FIA Institute for Motor Sport Safety was created in 2004. Its main goal was to improve safety in motor sport. It brought together different safety research groups. This institute stopped operating before the 2017 motor sport season. Its goals were then taken over by the Global Institute for Motor Sport Safety.

The FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy started in 2011. It aimed to help talented young drivers from around the world. This academy stopped running after the 2015 season.

See also

In Spanish: Federación Internacional del Automóvil para niños

• FIA Prize Giving Ceremony
• List of FIA championships
• List of FIA member organisations
• FIA Motorsport Games
• FIA Hall of Fame
• FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy
• Commission Internationale de Karting