FIA say goodbye to former Mercedes special advisor

The FIA is saying goodbye to Shaila-Ann Rao after just under six months. She joined the organisation from Mercedes earlier this year to succeed Peter Bayer, the former Secretary General for Motor Sport. This reports the FIA.

In the past, Rao served as Legal Director at the FIA, but in 2018, she decided to switch to the German formation. At Mercedes, Rao was assigned the position of General Counsel and Special Advisor, with which she worked frequently with Mercedes.

With her return to the FIA, she was assigned an advisor role, where she was responsible for monitoring and managing strategic issues related to Formula 1. Among other things, she reportedly contacted Christian Horner to tell him that the FIA was investigating Red Bull Racing for possibly exceeding its budget ceiling.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem thanked her for her work. "On behalf of everyone at the FIA, I would like to thank Shaila-Ann for her invaluable contribution in her role as Interim Secretary General for Motor Sport during an important transitional phase for the organisation. In particular, Shaila-Ann has provided me with great support in respect to Formula 1, always acting with professionalism and integrity," the FIA president said.