Shaila-Ann Rao completes his surprise return to Formula One’s Governance Body The FIA after being appointed presidential advisor to Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
Rao left his previous role at the FIA as interim executive director of motorsports within six months after being appointed in 2022 after helping to oversee the transitional period after Ben Suleim took office.
Lao’s third stint at the FIA was serving as legal director for the athletics organization between 2016 and 2018, before serving as the general counsel to Mercedes and later as a special advisor to team principal Toto Wolff.
The FIA confirmed that Rao will begin her new position on May 1, and she confirmed that she will advise Ben Sulayem on “regulation and commercial issues related to the Seven FIA World Championships.”
“We’re happy to be able to bring Shaila-Ann Rao back to the FIA,” Ben Sulayem said.
“She has an exceptional record in Global Motorsports and is an incredible asset for me and my team as she continues to improve the regulatory and commercial framework of all FIA World Championships that benefit drivers, teams and FIA member clubs.
“She also advises me on issues related to all FIA World Championship promoters.”
Rao said: “We look forward to advising the FIA President throughout the FIA World Championships and building on the significant advances already made during our presidential term while strengthening the championship’s regulatory and commercial framework.
“FIA holds a unique place in global sports and is excited to support the FIA at this point and to help the FIA president provide an even stronger future for motorsport.”
Rao was in the heart of F1 Cost Caplau
Rao found himself in the heart of Red Bull’s Formula 1 cost cap after the team was punished for violating the $145 million spending limit in 2021.
Red Bull is worried that it was leaked to the Reval team as early as the Singapore Grand Prix.
“The accusations made in Singapore were very upsetting for all members of our staff, all our partners, everyone involved in Red Bull,” said Christian Horner, principal of the Red Bull team.
“Obviously, any form of leakage is very concerned, and that’s something we expect to follow up.”
Red Bull Motorsport Advisor Helmut Marko hinted at Rao’s involvement in overseeing the process, saying how the leak appeared was “strange.”
Lao’s previous link to Mercedes raised some concern from rival F1 teams, but the FIA vehemently denied that the leak of the cost cap came from within the organization, saying that such insinuation was completely unfounded.
In April 2023, the Telegraph reported that before Rao left in December 2022, he wrote a letter accusing Ben Sulayem of sexist behavior.