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International Federation · Motorsport

FIA — Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, founded in 1904 and headquartered in Paris under its statutes; fully IOC-recognised since 2013, as it reports, an ARISF member and WADA Code signatory with 246 member clubs in 149 countries.
✓ Last reviewed: September 2026
Founded1904, as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR), per the FIA; Britannica gives 1904, with headquarters in Paris[2][13]
HeadquartersParis, under the statutes; offices in Paris (8 place de la Concorde) and Geneva[3][2]
Members246 member organisations in 149 countries, per the FIA[4]
IOC statusProvisional from December 2011; full from September 2013[6][7]
Umbrella bodiesARISF member; World Anti-Doping Code signatory since December 2010[8][9][10]
StatutesEdition adopted by the Extraordinary General Assembly of 25 June 2026[3]

What is the FIA?

The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) is the international federation for motorsport and a federation of motoring clubs. It describes itself as “the governing body of motor sport” that “promotes safe, sustainable and accessible mobility for all road users across the world”, working “across three areas: Sport, Mobility and Campaigns.”[1]

Its statutes, in the edition adopted on 25 June 2026, define it as “a non-profit making world organisation and an international association”.[3] The same statutes claim for the federation’s General Assembly the position of “the sole international body governing motor sport”, holding “the exclusive right to take all decisions concerning the organisation, direction and management of International Motor Sport.”[3] That is the FIA’s own constitutional claim.

The two pillars show in the membership: the FIA’s members page divides its clubs into sport clubs, mobility (touring and road-user) clubs and clubs active in both.[4] Motorcycle sport is governed separately, by the FIM.

What does the FIA govern or do?

Rules. The FIA publishes the International Sporting Code and the technical and sporting regulations of its championships through its regulations portal.[1] Its General Assembly, “the supreme decision-making body of the FIA”, meets once a year and elects “all major FIA officials”; the organisation page describes the FIA as “regulating and adjudicating at hundreds of events in a huge variety of series each year.”[5][2]

Championships. The FIA’s site lists among its championships the FIA Formula One World Championship, the FIA World Rally Championship, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and FIA Karting; the single-seater ladder includes Formula 2 and Formula 3.[1]

What it does not own commercially. The FIA sanctions Formula 1; the commercial business sits with Liberty Media, whose 3 July 2025 release states that its “Formula One Group is composed of its subsidiaries Formula 1, MotoGP and Quint, and other minority investments.”[12]

Anti-doping. The FIA states that it “became a Signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code in December 2010” and that doping in motorsport is “also a question of safety.”[10] See anti-doping.

When was the FIA founded and where is it based?

The FIA’s organisation page states that the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR) was established in 1904 when “the Automobile Club de France allied itself with 12 clubs from around the world”, and that it was later renamed the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile.[2] Its statutes likewise give 1904 as the founding year.[3] Encyclopaedia Britannica, independently, gives 1904 as the founding year and Paris as the headquarters.[13] No source retrieved gave an exact founding day or the year of the change of name, and both are left out.

Seat. The 2026 statutes state: “It has its headquarters in Paris, or in such place as the General Assembly may determine.”[3] In practice the federation works from two main sites. The organisation page gives offices at 8 place de la Concorde, 75008 Paris, and at Chemin de Blandonnet 2, 1214 Vernier, Geneva, with further facilities in Valleiry, France, and London.[2]

Leadership. The organisation page names Mohammed Ben Sulayem as President.[2]

How is the FIA recognised?

IOC. On 11 January 2012 the FIA reported that the IOC President had announced its recognition “by letter dated 9th December 2011”, adding that “The IOC recognition is provisional for a period of two years.”[6] On 16 September 2013 the FIA reported that, “Following a two year period of provisional recognition”, its status “has been upgraded to full recognition in accordance with the sporting and governance standards of the Olympic Charter”, by decision of the IOC Executive Board at its meeting in Buenos Aires on 7–10 September 2013.[7] The IOC’s own record could not be retrieved; both dates rest on the FIA’s reports of the IOC’s decisions. Motorsport is not on the Olympic programme; the FIA’s site describes the Olympic Esports Series as “Created by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in collaboration with the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA)” and game publisher Polyphony Digital.[11]

ARISF. The Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations lists “Automobile – FIA Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile”.[8]

WADA. The World Anti-Doping Agency lists the “International Automobile Federation (FIA)” among its signatories in the ARISF-members category.[9]

What does the FIA organise?

The FIA’s Formula One page states that the championship has run “Since its inception in 1950”.[14] The 2026 season comprises 24 rounds, opening with the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park on 8 March 2026 and scheduled to close with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina on 6 December 2026; on 30 September 2026 the season is in progress.[14]

Beside Formula 1 the FIA lists 2026 seasons of the World Rally Championship and the World Endurance Championship among its world championships.[1] In esports the FIA worked with the IOC on the Olympic Esports Series, whose second edition, the 2023 Finals, was held in Singapore on 22–25 June 2023.[11] See multi-sport games.

Who are its members?

The FIA’s members are national motoring and motor sport clubs. Its members page states: “Comprised of 246 motoring and motor sport club members in 149 countries, the FIA is in a unique position to facilitate communication and the exchange of ideas among its 80 million members.”[4] The organisation page gives the same figures as “246 Member Organisations from 149 countries on five continents”.[2] The General Assembly is composed of “automobile and touring clubs and national sporting authorities representing the 246 member organisations.”[5] No independent count was retrieved.

Categories. The 2026 statutes distinguish full members (national automobile clubs, clubs or associations covering a whole territory, and organisations dealing exclusively with sport, the national sporting authorities or ASNs), associate members and provisional members, admitted for an initial two-year period.[3] See international federation.

References

  1. FIA — official site (home, self-description and navigation). Accessed 2026-09-30.
  2. FIA — Organisation. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  3. FIA — Statutes, adopted by the Extraordinary General Assembly of 25 June 2026 (PDF, FR-ENG). Accessed 2026-09-30.
  4. FIA — Members. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  5. FIA — General Assembly. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  6. FIA — Recognition of the FIA by the IOC (11 January 2012). Accessed 2026-09-30.
  7. FIA — IOC upgrades FIA to full recognition status (16 September 2013). Accessed 2026-09-30.
  8. ARISF — Members. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  9. World Anti-Doping Agency — Code Signatories. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  10. FIA — Anti-Doping. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  11. FIA — Olympic Esports Series. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  12. Liberty Media — Liberty Media Corporation Completes Acquisition of MotoGP™ (3 July 2025). Accessed 2026-09-30.
  13. Encyclopaedia Britannica — Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). Accessed 2026-09-30.
  14. FIA — 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship. Accessed 2026-09-30.