FIA exit for ex-Mercedes lawyer was inevitable after controversies
That Shaila-Ann Rao, appointed the (Interim) FIA Secretary-General for Motorsport by President Mohammed Ben Sulayem in June of this year, has left the governing body after just six months in the job, is no real surprise to students of paddock politics: For whatever reasons, she seemingly became a part of whatever F1 controversies were doing the rounds at whatever points in time.
The term ‘whatever’ extends to her appointment, too - initially as Director in the Office of the President, which morphed into the (I)S-G role.
“Whatever was the reason for her appointment?” was an oft-asked question amongst F1 team bosses (and others) after the London-trained barrister was recruited from Mercedes F1 , where she initially acted as Legal Counsel, then latterly as Special Adviser to CEO Toto Wolff.
Significantly, one of MBS’s first tasks after taking office in mid-December 2021 had been to visit all F1 team bosses, with the topic of that Abu Dhabi finale topping the respective agendas...