FIA President Nominates Malcolm Wilson OBE for Deputy President for Sport Position

Okay, so, here’s the scoop. The big wigs over at the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile—yeah, that’s FIA for short, a mouthful right?—decided to shake things up a bit. That dude Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who’s the boss of all things motor sport, threw Malcolm Wilson’s name into the ring for this fancy role: Deputy President for Sport. Apparently, he’s got this eye on the prize kinda vibe.

Now, if all things go as planned, the people who have the power to vote will be making their voices heard in Macau come June 2025. Sounds pretty official and perhaps a bit stressful, don’t you think? I mean, it’s a big deal. Malcolm’s no stranger to a race car or rally—most definitely not. This guy’s been kicking it with the big boys since, like, the ’70s. He’s the brainiac behind M-Sport, which has been the backbone of Ford’s World Rally since the late ’90s. And if you’re wondering, yup, he’s got an OBE to his name. Fancy!

M-Sport under Wilson’s wizardry nabbed the World Rally Championship title for manufacturers thrice—in case you were counting. The guy got his hands mingling with Bentley Motors and worked the technical magic on those Jaguar electric races too. Yep, the dude knows his cars like some of us know our way to the fridge at midnight.

Now, what’s a Deputy Prez for Sport even do, you ask? They basically get to rub elbows on the World Motor Sport Council, kinda like a backstage pass to all the decision-making on how motor sport policies should shape up. Lots of schmoozing and paperwork, I assume. Important stuff like keeping things safe, green, and, well, not stale.

Mohammed, in his probably fancy office, was all praises, saying that Wilson is like the jack-of-all-trades in the racing world. The guy’s been at it for over 40 years, which means he’s not just a flash in the pan. They’re hoping he can sprinkle that expertise all over the FIA world. I dunno, but president praises sound like the cherry on your ice cream sundae. Rather flattering if you ask me.

Malcolm was all excited, sounding a bit like he was ready to drive a Formula 1 right then and there. He seems really chuffed about being picked and can’t wait to rally everyone—pun intended—onto the same page. Something about motor sport uniting the world. Honestly, it’s kinda refreshing to see someone so pumped.

And before we wrap up, the FIA’s your Swiss army knife of motor sport stuff. They’re handling everything from racing to how mobility should work. Not-for-profit, btw, in case you thought this was some cash cow. They’re based out of Paris, London, and Geneva, sipping lattes and making rules since 1904. And with a whooping 245 Member Organisations, they’ve got their hands in every motor sport cookie jar you can think of.

Anyway, it’s an exciting time if you’re into the vroom-vroom life, maybe Malcolm’s got more aces up his sleeve. Who even knows? 🤷‍♀️