FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem says the governing physique has reached a “very positive” settlement to the authorized row over its Halo security system.
It confronted a declare over an alleged patent infringement introduced by a designer, Jens Nygaard.
The Halo construction was launched to Formula 1 and different collection starting in 2018. It has been credited for the position it performed in defending drivers in a number of severe crashes, together with Romain Grosjean’s fireball shunt at Bahrain in 2020.
It was launched below former FIA president Jean Todt, whom Ben Sulayem changed on the finish of final yr. Following that he realized of the authorized row over the design. The matter was settled earlier this yr.
Ben Sulayem drew consideration to the case as he started his speech to the FIA Annual General Assembly in Bologna as we speak.
“One of my first actions as president was to be transparent about the legal challenges we faced,” he mentioned. “So, I am very happy to tell you that the Halo litigation has been resolved in a very positive way, safeguarding the future of the FIA, and I thank the legal team for all their hard work.”
Since his election win 12 months in the past, Ben Sulayem has made transparency a precedence of his administration. In F1 the mishandling of last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the safety concerns which arose at this year’s Japanese Grand Prix and Red Bull’s breach of the 2021 budget cap have been all detailed in prolonged public experiences.
In his feedback to FIA delegates as we speak, Ben Sulayem pledged to proceed in that vein. “This transparency had to go further,” he mentioned. “That is why we commissioned independent audits of our finances and governance which have shaped our plans for the future.
“That means balancing the books and reforming the FIA to deliver more for its members.”
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