Budapest, Hungary / RankWire.AI / – International motorsport governance and European state leadership converged at the Hungaroring circuit as Federation Internationale de l’Automobile President Mohammed Ben Sulayem held high-level meetings with regional government figures during the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix. Official reports published by Emirates News Agency confirmed that the FIA President meets with Hungarian PM and Czech President during comprehensive bilateral talks focused on sports development, transport infrastructure, and global tourism. The executive meetings coincided with the 40th anniversary of the Hungaroring hosting its inaugural Formula One World Championship round. The milestone event attracted hundreds of thousands of international spectators to Mogyoród near Budapest, creating a prominent platform for discussions on regional economic growth, technological innovation, and foreign capital investment.
Stefano Domenicali, Péter Magyar, and Mohammed Ben Sulayem at the Hungaroring. (Credit WAM)
During the primary summit session, President Ben Sulayem met directly with Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar to evaluate ongoing athletic programs and public infrastructure initiatives. Discussions focused heavily on the economic capacity of major international sporting events to generate foreign exchange, elevate national visibility, and drive tourism growth across Central Europe. The FIA executive formally recognized the contributions of local affiliate bodies, including the Hungarian National Motorsport Federation, Magyar Nemzeti Autósport Szövetség, and the Hungarian Mobility and Automobile Club, Magyar Mobilitási és Autóklub. Both leaders emphasized the strategic importance of aligning government infrastructure planning with private sector investments to preserve world-class venue standards and ensure long-term operational sustainability.
Road safety and mobility policy served as core agenda items during consultations between the motorsport governing body and Hungarian government representatives. President Ben Sulayem detailed the FIA’s global mobility initiatives, emphasizing data-driven research models designed to help municipal authorities reduce traffic accidents and severe injuries. The talks highlighted Hungary’s adoption of the Vision Zero framework, an international transport initiative structured to eliminate road fatalities and critical injuries across the national highway network by 2050. The FIA leadership pledged continued technical support for national member clubs and government ministries to ensure that safety innovations developed in professional racing directly inform public transport safety strategies.
International Motorsport Leadership Convenes at Hungaroring
In a separate diplomatic engagement at the racing complex, the FIA President meets with Hungarian PM and Czech President in a series of sessions connecting international sports administration with European public leadership. President Ben Sulayem reunited with Czech Republic President Petr Pavel, who attended the Hungarian Grand Prix in a private capacity to pursue photojournalism and motorsport photography. The two leaders previously conducted formal meetings in Prague and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. Their latest exchange centered on grassroots motorsport development, safety protocols in regional competitions, and expanding affordable access to competitive racing platforms for young drivers throughout Central and Eastern Europe.
The high-level gatherings at the Hungaroring also involved executive representatives from commercial motorsport rights holders and international diplomatic missions. The FIA delegation was joined by Formula One Group President and Chief Executive Officer Stefano Domenicali alongside Liberty Media Board Chairman Robert R. Bennett. Official attendees also included United Arab Emirates Ambassador to Hungary Saud Hamad Ghanem Hamad al-Shamsi. The assembled leadership reviewed long-term commercial rights agreements, international broadcasting metrics, and venue modernization programs necessary to preserve the Hungarian Grand Prix on the annual World Championship competition schedule through future racing seasons.
High Level Bilateral Discussions Held During Grand Prix Weekend
Highlighting grassroots development, Ben Sulayem commended regional youth programs supported by FIA grant allocations and foundation funding. In Czechia, collaboration with national automobile club Autoklub České republiky, led by President Jan Šťovíček, has established structured training programs including the Karting Academy and the RacerBuggy 160 autocross initiative. Institutional monitoring data indicates that these youth development structures have trained over 4,000 child drivers across the past seven years, providing core driving mechanics and safety instruction. Officials noted that expanding grassroots participation remains vital for cultivating future engineering talent, professional drivers, and certified safety marshals across the global motorsport landscape.
Following the conclusion of the weekend meetings, President Ben Sulayem reaffirmed the FIA’s commitment to deep collaboration with Central European governments, commercial rights holders, and national sporting authorities. The FIA executive stated that the Hungarian Grand Prix remains an iconic fixture on the international racing calendar, praising the nation’s enduring dedication to world-class motor racing. Moving forward, the FIA and Hungarian state authorities plan to maintain joint working groups focused on sustainable transport infrastructure, road safety education, and venue upgrades at the Hungaroring. The ongoing engagement reflects a broader global strategy by the FIA to integrate high-profile sporting events with long-term public mobility policy and economic development goals.