New FIA president given backing by McLaren boss after crucial agreement

McLaren F1 boss Zak Brown has publicly backed recently re-elected president of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

Brown has just come off the back of a mightily impressive season, with McLaren claiming a championship double for the first time since 1998.

The Woking-based outfit have won the constructors' championship back-to-back, and are hoping to remain competitive when new regulations sweep into the sport in 2026.

F1, the FIA, and the 11 teams on the grid have recently agreed to the newest version of the Concorde Agreement, a document that outlines how the sport is going to be governed for the next five years.

A big player in that agreement being signed was Ben Sulayem, who was recently re-elected as president of the FIA having been in the post since 2021.

The FIA election process itself is the subject of legal action, however, with Laura Villars suggesting that it was unfair in that it meant that Ben Sulayem was the only candidate. Villars had been hoping to challenge for the presidency, but all candidates had to select a vice president choice from each of the FIA global regions.

However, there was only one representative on the list from South America, and they had already been recruited to Ben Sulayem's side, meaning Villars, Tim Mayer and Virginie Philipott were all unable to actually compete in the election.

Now, Brown has spoken of his support for Ben Sulayem's second term in office, stating that the recent Concorde Agreement is the FIA president's greatest achievement so far.

In a video posted on the FIA's official Instagram page, Brown said: "The president's greatest achievement to date has been getting the Concorde Agreement for 2026 and beyond completed quietly, out of the media and in a fair and balanced way.

"I think that the sport has never been healthier, there's a real focus on what's right for the sport and that of course has been led by the president and Stefano [Domenicali] working closely together. Very happy with where the sport is."

What is the Concorde Agreement?

The Concorde Agreement is a document that is agreed upon and signed by the FIA, F1 teams and Formula One Management (FOM) that sets out the next five years in the series and how it will be run by the sport's bosses.

It also dictates how commercial interests will be shared, and it's how TV revenues and prize money for each position in the constructors' championship are shared between the teams too.

The first ever Concorde Agreement was signed in 1981, and since then there have been eight more, with all of the details kept secret.

Brown praised the fact that, even in this day and age, the majority of what was in the recent Concorde Agreement has remained a secret between the teams, the FIA and FOM.

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