New FIA Historic Commission Chairman

The last 2020 meeting of the World Motor Sport Council has ratified a change to the Chairmanship of the FIA Historic Motor Sport Commission. By statute incumbent Chairman Paolo Cantarella could no longer hold the position after he had reached the age of 75. Cantarella was appointed in 2014 with strong support from Jean Todt, himself about to reach the cut-off date for office. The new Chairman, John Naylor, is President of Motorsport Ireland (the Irish ASN) and will continue to hold that office, and was already a Commission member. He also chairs the FIA Historic Circuits Sub-Commission. In recent years he has acted as permanent steward for the FIA Historic Formula One and Historic Sports Car Championships. “I got my first racing car when I was 18,” said Naylor, talking about how he grew to love the sport, “My father and I went to Mondello, it was my first time there, and we ended up buying a racing car before we left and I’ve been hooked ever since,” he recalled. The car was a Lotus 69 Formula Ford 1600. Now aged 57, he has a collection of historic cars. An experienced hillclimb racer, John is a long-time member of the Wexford Motor Club, serving as the Club’s Chairman on three different occasions. John has been married to wife, Una for 27 years and has a son aged 23 and two daughters aged 21 and 16.