Peter Bayer accumulated the positions of secretary general in FIA and executive director in Formula One, and will leave the entity after five years of service. Ex-Mercedes is nominated as interim
FIA Secretary General and Formula 1 CEO since last year, Peter Bayer is leaving the federation that controls world motorsport after five years of his arrival. A statement from the FIA itself issued on Wednesday morning (1) confirmed the leader's departure, as well as naming ex-Mercedes Shaila-Ann Rao as his interim replacement.
"The International Automobile Federation announces the departure of Peter Bayer, who has served as secretary general of sports since 2017 and also as F1's executive director since 2021," the statement said. "The FIA warmly thanks him for the results he has contributed to the development of motorsport over the past five years," it thanks.
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"In particular, he has overseen, together with the entire sports division, the building of a single-seater pyramid from karting to F1, the creation of the new World Rally Championship, as well as improved safety and sustainability in all aspects," the note extols. "The FIA wishes the best in the future," it says.
At the end of the notice, the FIA notified the return of Shaila-Ann Rao, who had previously worked at the body, but in another position - she was legal director. However, she moved to Mercedes after a year and a half, where she worked as general counsel before becoming the right-hand man of the German team boss, Austrian Toto Wolff.
"Peter Bayer will be replaced on an interim basis by Shaila-Ann Rao, who recently returned to the FIA," he revealed. "Shaila-Ann Rao held the post of FIA legal director from mid-2016 to the end of 2018, before spending three and a half years with Mercedes as special advisor to boss Toto Wolff," the statement concluded.