FIA News: Ben Sulayem's controversial changes voted in

(GMM) Despite the protests of multiple FIA member clubs, Formula 1’s governing body has ratified a series of controversial statute amendments.

Many regarded FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s recently-proposed changes as an attempt to consolidate his position as Carlos Sainz senior considers challenging him in December’s elections.

Austria’s Krone newspaper said the amendments would, among other things, tighten the election process with a shorter application period. Another change was the reduction of the maximum age of an FIA president from 75 to 70 – excluding former F1 team boss David Richards.

The Austrian automobile club OAMTC formalized its objections to the changes in a letter, warning of a “dark period of democratic backsliding”.

However, although reportedly supported by entities in the UK, Belgium, Portugal and Switzerland, the objection was overruled and Ben Sulayem’s changes were voted in with what an FIA spokesman described as an “overwhelming majority”.

The OAMTC chief Oliver Schmerold told Krone: “It’s very regrettable.

“We criticized the timing because no change was urgent and there was no room for discussion.”

However, the FIA spokesman insists the statute changes come at the end of a clear “democratic process”.