Geneva, February 21 – The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motorsport, said on Saturday that it is optimistic about the composition of its new Senate, citing broad international representation and cross-industry experience.
"Otabek Umarov, Fatma Samoura, Akio Toyoda, and Anar Alakbarov bring deep, cross-industry expertise to the FIA Senate," the FIA said in a statement released from its headquarters. "Their appointments strengthen the highest governance body of the FIA with global representation and diverse leadership experience."
The federation added that the Senate plays a central role in shaping its long-term strategic direction, and said the continued contribution of its members brings fresh perspective and informed judgment to support the FIA's mission across global motorsport and mobility, according to Xinhua.
The 2026 FIA Senate has 16 members, including FIA President Mohammed ben Sulayem and Senate President Carmelo Sanz de Barros.
Zhan Guojun of China was reappointed to the Senate. He is the president of the Federation of Automobile and Motorcycle Sports of China (CAMF) and has served as a Senate member for more than a decade.
The Senate is the main decision-making body of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), an international organization governing various aspects of the automobile industry at the global level.
The FIA has two primary functions surrounding the use of the automobile: its mobility division advocates the interests of motoring organizations, the automotive industry, and motor car users in the fields of road safety and traffic circulation. The sport division is the governing body for many international motorsport championships and disciplines, including Formula One.
Its most prominent role is in the licensing and sanctioning of Formula One, the World Rally Championship, the World Endurance Championship, the TCR World Tour, the World Rallycross Championship, Formula E, and various other forms of racing.