The FIA’s rules permit only one automobile club or national sporting authority per country.
Feldman’s letter demands that Ben Sulayem suspends Russia’s membership, re-imposes “strict restrictions on Russian athletes’ participation in international competitions”, and makes a statement that publicly declares, on behalf of the FIA, that “the forcible redistribution of sporting authority is unacceptable”.
The letter comes a week after Ukraine’s minister for youth and sport told BBC Sport the FIA was wrong to lift the ban on Russian competitors.
Matvii Bidnyi said: “The reasons why Russia was banned from international sports competition have not disappeared. Nothing changes and it became even worse.”
“Russia continues full-scale aggression against Ukraine. Belarus continues to provide military support to Russia. Ukrainian people are still being killed every day. And Russian attacks become more and more brutal.
“I don’t understand, and Ukrainian people and I know that all European people don’t understand what’s happened, why now we must make this policy softer.”
The ban on Russian and Belarusian competitors taking part in international motorsport events was imposed in February 2022, after Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine.
It was lifted on 3 August in a decision by the FIA’s world motorsport council. This followed the International Olympic Committee, with which the FIA is affiliated, lifting its own ban.
Other sporting authorities, such as World Athletics, have not followed suit.
The Russian Embassy in London said in a statement to BBC Sport last week: “Excluding Russian athletes from international competitions amounts to segregation based on nationality and is incompatible with the principles of the Olympic charter.
“The FIA’s decision to lift the restrictions on Russian competitors in international motorsport is a step in the right direction. It shows that common sense is gradually prevailing over political bias in major sporting federations.”
The FIA has been contacted for comment.
