When and Why the FIA Was Founded:
The International Automobile Federation, known by its French acronym, FIA, was founded in 1904 in Paris.
The FIA was founded in order "to create a forum for international mobility, car-related issues and to unify international motor sport regulations which united motoring organizations around the world."
Who the Members of the FIA Are:
The FIA comprises 213 national motoring organizations from 125 countries, representing more than 200 million drivers and their families.
Areas in which the FIA Represents Road Car Drivers:
The FIA represents road car drivers in areas such as safety, mobility, the environment and consumer law. This it does by dealing with such groups and organizations as the European Union, the United Nations, the World Health Organization and other international bodies.
The FIA oversees crash testing of regular cars in the Euroncap program.
Where Auto Racing Comes into the FIA's Mandate:
Motor racing is a separate part of the FIA's mandate from normal road car aspects of the organization. However, where the FIA used to have a separate organization within the organization to run motor racing - called the FISA - since the early 1990s motor racing has been an integral part of the organization under the banner name of the FIA.
Although the FIA calls itself the governing body of world motor sport, some racing series are not controlled by the FIA. Nascar , for instance, is not run by the FIA. However, the FIA owns and operates several of the major world racing series, with F1 at the top of the pyramid.
How the FIA Governs Formula 1 Motor Racing:
The main job of the FIA in operating F1 is to create a set of rules and regulations and to oversee the International Sporting Code under which the series competes.
The Division of Authority Within the FIA:
The FIA's highest body is the General Assembly, which includes the presidents of the clubs and national sporting authorities. It elects the president of the FIA and the two World Councils: The World Council for Mobility and the Automobile, which governs all non-sporting activities; and the World Motor Sport Council, which governs international motor sport.
Each World Council is elected by the General Assembly, chaired by the President of the FIA, and assisted by specialised commissions.
The FIA says that, "These specialized commissions act in much the same way as ministries to a national government."
What the FIA World Motor Sport Council Does:
The elected members of the WMSC come from all over the world. The Council's top priorities are:
Its activities are not limited to the F1 World Championship, the World Rally Championship, or the GT Championship. Through its national member clubs it extends to millions of amateurs and professionals everywhere.
Who is the President of the FIA:
Max Mosley has been the president of the FIA since 1993. Mosley has been involved in Formula 1 in various capacities since the 1960s. He was an amateur racer himself, racing up to the F2 level. He is also a lawyer.
How to Contact the FIA:
FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE L'AUTOMOBILE
8, Place de la Concorde
75008 Paris
France
Telephone: +33 1 43 12 44 55
Facsimile: +33 1 43 12 44 66
Administration:
2, Chemin de Blandonnet
1215 Genève 15
Suisse / Switzerland
Telephone: +41 22 544 44 00
Facsimile: +41 22 544 44 50 (Sport)
Facsimile: +41 22 544 45 50 (Tourisme et Automobile)