Chief exec Robyn leaves FIA after just 18 months

Natalie Robyn started work for the FIA in late 2022

Natalie Robyn has left her position as chief executive officer of motorsport’s governing body the FIA after just 18 months in the role.

The FIA said in a statement that Robyn had left “by mutual agreement to pursue opportunities outside of the FIA”.

Robyn, who will leave her role at the end of May, is the fourth senior executive to move on from the FIA since December last year.

Her departure follows the resignations of sporting director Steve Nielsen, single-seater technical director Tim Goss and head of the commission for women Deborah Mayer.

And it comes in the wake of a series of controversies involving FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

In March, the FIA’s ethics committee cleared Ben Sulayem of accusations from a whistleblower that he had interfered in races in Saudi Arabia and Las Vegas last season, saying it had found “no evidence” to support the claims.

Ben Sulayem and the FIA are also fighting a lawsuit brought by Susie Wolff, the director of the F1 Academy for aspiring female drivers and wife of Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.

Ben Sulayem has been embroiled in a series of other controversies since he was elected in December 2021.

Robyn did not respond to requests for comment from BBC Sport.

The FIA quoted her in a statement saying: “Performing in the role of CEO at the FIA has been an enormous privilege and I am 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.”

The FIA statement said Robyn had “spearheaded a comprehensive overhaul of the federation's operational structure, playing a pivotal role in modernising the FIA, enhancing governance, and securing sustainable financial stability”.

Robyn, a former car industry executive for Volvo, Nissan and DaimlerChrysler, started work for the FIA in late 2022, and her recruitment was described at the time by Ben Sulayem as “a transformative moment for our federation”.

Ben Sulayem said in a statement about her departure: “Natalie’s appointment was notable as the first CEO in the history of the FIA. She has contributed greatly to a wide-ranging reorganisation of our operational and management structure as well as our financial sustainability.”