Ukraine Escalates Protest Over FIA Lifting Russia Ban
By Andrew Benson – F1 Correspondent
Mon, August 31, 2026
Ukraine has escalated its complaint against the FIA’s decision to lift the ban on Russian competitors participating in international events. The Ukrainian Automobile Federation (FAU) has appealed to the FIA Court of Appeal, the organization’s highest authority, three days after requesting an urgent investigation by the FIA’s ethics committee.
The ban on individuals from Russia and Belarus competing in international motorsport events had been in place since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The FIA lifted it on August 3, following the International Olympic Committee’s decision to remove its similar ban on athletes from these countries. However, in motorsport, hosting international events in Russia or Belarus remains prohibited.
The FAU’s appeal is based on several claims:
- The Russian Automobile Federation (RAF) has opened and operates offices in regions of Ukraine occupied by Russia—Crimea, Sevastopol, and the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts. These areas are recognized by the United Nations as sovereign Ukrainian territory.
- Lifting restrictions on Russian and Belarusian motorsport competitors effectively restricts participation for competitors from Ukraine and other partner countries that have prohibited displaying national symbols of aggressor states.
- The FIA’s decision breaches both its statutes and International Sporting Code, which allow only one automobile club per country.
Oleksandr Feldman, president of the FAU, stated:
"This is a flagrant breach of the FIA statutes and the International Sporting Code by the Russian Automobile Federation… We call on the FIA to take urgent action."
The FAU plans to pursue legal remedies to restore the integrity of the motorsport system in accordance with FIA regulations. They also highlighted the loss of 23 Ukrainian motorsport competitors and officials since Russia’s invasion, as well as the disruption caused by the war.
Furthermore, they noted that Boris Rotenberg, head of the RAF, is subject to international sanctions imposed by various jurisdictions in response to the aggression against Ukraine. The move was approved by the FIA World Council, with sources suggesting it was proposed by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
