Celebrating Excellence: Finalists Named for 2023 FIA President’s Awards

  • gb
05.12.23

The 2023 FIA President’s Awards nine finalists were selected from a field of 44 projects submitted by FIA Member Clubs around the world, in recognition for their remarkable actions to drive positive societal change for safer roads and a greener, more equal, inclusive and diverse future.

First launched in 2022, the FIA President’s Awards recognise exceptional achievement across three categories: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), Climate Action and Road Safety.

The 44 projects were assessed based on five evaluation criteria: Relevance, Legacy, Innovation, Sustainability and Impact.

Nine projects were selected. They are:

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

  • Federation of Motor Sports Club of India – FMSCI for ALL
  • Motorsport South Africa – Daniel Pienaar Technical High School Motorsport Initiative
  • Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation – Driving Gender Equality

Climate Action

  • Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club – ADAC Pendlernetz powered by twogo
  • Motorsport New Zealand – Environmental Sustainability Fund
  • Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia – Air Health Monitor

Road Safety 

  • Australian Automobile Association – Road Safety Research Program
  • Automobile Club of Moldova – Safe School Zones
  • Touring y Automóvil Club del Peru – Usa un casco seguro
     

The winners will be named at the FIA General Assemblies meeting on 8 December in Baku, Azerbaijan.

More information about the finalists can be found below:

 

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Building a Cohesive EDI Campaign with the Federation of Motor Sports Club of India

‘FMSCI for ALL’ is a campaign for everyone which aims to bring together the Federation’s wide-ranging initiatives, across grassroots development, women's empowerment, engineering development, sustainability, and increased support in the fight against online abuse. The FIA President’s Awards Selection Team noted that “this project strongly aligns with the FIA's strategic priorities, particularly in the domains of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), and Grassroots Development.”

Reimagining Sport Lessons with Motorsport South Africa

Daniel Pienaar Technical High School allows students to take motor sport classes — with some taking part as Rally drivers, others as mechanics, and others in sport administration. The FIA President’s Awards Selection Team described the programme as “as an inspiring example of youth development that promotes increased accessibility to motor sport.”

Building a Positive Future for Women in Motor Sport with the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation

Just five years ago, women in Saudi Arabia couldn't drive – but since the ban lifted in 2018, the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) have committed to a more inclusive future, pushing to enhance opportunities for female drivers on the race track, educate girls about motor sport, and include women at the highest levels of the motor sport sector. The FIA President’s Awards Selection Team explained: “SAMF have implemented major organisation changes, achieving significant milestones in a relatively short span of time, while overcoming substantial socio-cultural barriers.”

 

Climate Action

Promoting Ride Sharing with the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club e.V. (ADAC)

ADAC has introduced a new digital carpooling service “ADAC Pendlernetz powered by twogo”, which connects drivers and passengers who are taking the same route to save the planet, our roads, and customers’ wallets. The app will be promoted at major sporting events. The FIA President’s Awards Selection Team said that this was a “good idea which provides a solution to make motor sport more accessible for everyone.”

Balancing Emissions with MotorSport New Zealand

MotorSport New Zealand introduced an Environment Sustainability Fund, which raises money from event organisers to pay for projects countering CO2 emissions. The FIA President’s Awards Selection Team described the project as “innovative”, noting that the “tax approach is particularly interesting to raise awareness of the overall price of carbon.”

Checking Air Quality with the Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia

The Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia (RAC WA) introduced the RAC Air Health Monitor (AHM), to collect accurate air quality data and share it with stakeholders and the community in a near-real-time heatmap. The FIA President’s Awards Selection Team described it as a “great initiative to take the lead in the air quality improvement area.”

 

 

Road Safety

Improving Road Safety Research with the Australian Automobile Association

The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) and its seven Member Clubs created the AAA Road Safety Research Program (RSRP), which allows AAA clubs to contribute directly to improving road safety knowledge, practices, behaviour, and technology through research. The FIA President’s Awards Selection Team admired the AAA’s significant investment in the project, noting that it shows the association’s desire to make a “long-term impact.” 

Making School Zones Safer with the Automobile Club of Moldova

The Automobile Club of Moldova successfully campaigned for changes in policy around Safer School Zones, to help mandate 30kph speed limits, and improve infrastructure in critical areas around school buildings. The FIA President’s Awards Selection Team described the Safer School Zones project as a “targeted and complete project” which is “scalable both in terms of methodology and tools used.”

Reminding People to Wear Motorcycle Helmets with Touring y Automóvil Club del Peru

'Usa un casco seguro' is a new initiative which aims to encourage young people to wear helmets when riding motorcycles. The programme targets students in their final year of high school (as well as the wider general public), and includes training and awareness raising messages. The FIA President’s Awards Selection Team noted that this is an “interesting project, which targets an emerging road safety issue in the country.”