FIA Historic Prizegiving Bologna

After nine events, taking competitors to Spain, Finland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Austria and Switzerland, winners of the FIA European Historic Rally Championship were fêted at a prizegiving dinner in Bologna on December 10, when the FIA honoured both their historic champions and their off-road winners.  The World Council meeting had taken place there earlier in the week and President of the FIA Mohammed Ben Sulayem stayed on and attended the dinner.  He spoke about his own love of rallying – he won the Middle East Rally Championship 14 times between 1986 and 2002 – and told the audience that he still owned and drove the Ford RS Cosworth that he rallied in the mid ’90s.  Possessor of a large collection of modern supercars, he said he preferred driving it and older cars like it, to driving modern cars.

Historic champions with Ben Sulayem Mohammed, portrait, FIA President during the 2022 FIA Prize Giving – Off Road and Historic ceremony at Palazzo Re Enzo, on December 10, 2022 in Bologna, Italy – Photo Frédéric Le Floc’h / DPPI

President of the FIA Historic Motor Sport Commission, John Naylor, was also there and in his address he underlined the importance of keeping a relevant and well-funded Motor Sport Commission.