FIA President letter to the Members clubs

Jean Todt, the President of the FIA sent a special letter to all FIA members on Thursday, April 2, 2020.  Here are some extracts.

“The crisis that we are living through today is unprecedented, and the consequences are being felt all around the world. Having started in Asia, it spread to the entire planet, causing deep concern and anxiety everywhere. We have been forced to question not only our activities within motor sport, mobility and tourism, but also how our modern societies are evolving. The Covid-19 is causing an unparalleled upheaval of the world as we know it. Priorities will change. Economies have come to a standstill, and so have cities. This pandemic has shaken those beliefs that we thought were unshakeable. This is not only a health crisis, but also a financial, social, political and human one. Together, we must face and resolve this immense challenge.

As you are aware, the global Motorsports calendar has been greatly disrupted. Other Sports events including the Toyko Olympic Games have been cancelled or postponed. For our part, we hope to be able to reschedule as many races as possible before the end of the year, but there are still too many unknowns to make any announcements yet, and the safety of our clubs, teams and fans is our top priority.

For the past two weeks, I have had the opportunity to talk to Club Presidents and to see how much the FIA family has been affected by what the world is going through right now. Every one of our members is a victim, both due to the cancellation of events and the repercussions on their various activities, revenue sources and incomes, without taking into account the complexities involved in setting up home working for those whose jobs require them to be in the field. We are fully aware of the difficulties that you are encountering and are ready to help you. It is for this reason that, after consulting with the Leadership Team and FIA senior management, we have decided to defer the due date for all FIA membership subscription payments until the end of September. We understand that for many Member Clubs cash flow is a key concern and there is no reason for member Clubs to be writing cheques to the FIA at this time.

We will overcome this crisis and unite in taking on the challenges of tomorrow – of that I am certain. We must preserve as best we can what ties us all together, within both Motor Sport and Mobility, namely our core values of endurance, resilience, the quest for excellence, courage and solidarity. And, so that this challenge is not futile, we must learn from it as well: we must let ourselves think outside the box, act differently. We must find new ways of achieving goals, in regards to road safety for example, or to our championships’ sustainability when budgets might be reduced post Covid-19. I very much hope that we will come out of this stronger than ever. I would like to express, once again, my solidarity during these difficult times. Take care of yourselves and your families.”

Read here the full letter from the FIA President.

Info FIA