Ukraine files FIA ethics complaint after Russian motorsport ban is lifted

The Ukrainian Automobile Federation (FAU) filed a formal complaint with the FIA ethics committee on Thursday, demanding an urgent investigation into the Russian Automobile Federation (RAF) days after the FIA reversed its ban on Russian and Belarusian competitors.

The FAU alleges the RAF operates offices in Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia — regions the United Nations recognises as Ukrainian territory. Under Article 3.3 of the FIA Statutes and Article 1.4.1 of the International Sporting Code, only one national sporting authority may be recognised per country, with jurisdiction over its entire national territory. By operating on Ukrainian soil, the FAU argues, the RAF is in direct breach of those rules.

The complaint also names RAF president Boris Rotenberg and other federation leaders as being subject to international sanctions imposed by the United States, United Kingdom and European Union for aggression against Ukraine.

“This is a clear breach of the FIA Statutes by the Russian Automobile Federation, which, as an FIA member organisation, is bound to comply with them,” said FAU president Oleksandr Feldman. “We urge the FIA President to take urgent action to have these offices closed, and for the Russian Automobile Federation to be sanctioned for its actions.”

The FAU is requesting an immediate investigation and the closure of all RAF offices on Ukrainian territory.

The complaint follows the FIA’s decision earlier this month to lift restrictions on Russian and Belarusian drivers, who may now compete under their national flags. That reversal ends a policy introduced in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The FIA’s ban on hosting international events in Russia and Belarus remains in place; the Russian Grand Prix contract was cancelled in 2022, with the Sochi Autodrom having been set for replacement by the Igora Drive circuit the following year.

During the ban, several Russian drivers sought alternative national licences to continue competing. Robert Shwartzman raced under an Israeli flag, while Daniil Kvyat and Nikita Bedrin hold Italian licences. Drivers representing Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in junior categories have also included Russian nationals.