Members of the FIA have approved changes to the FIA's statutes that will allow Mohammed ben Sulayem to tighten his grip on the organization.

The changes had appeared to divide members, however today's vote saw them passed with ease as voting went 83.35% in favour and just 16.65% against.

Among the most controversial changes is that which allows the president to disbar any potential rival for the presidency should there be anything in their history that "questions their professional integrity".

While, in what would appear to be another move intended to handicap potential challengers, the deadline by which presidential hopefuls must register their intention to run has been moved forward by several months.

The changes also see Ben Sulayem given the authority to appoint members to the FIA Senate, which controls the FIA, which is comprised of 245 member clubs and organisations from 149 countries, whilst also changing the make-up of the World Motor Sport Council, which will now limit the number of representatives of the same nationality.

Today's vote, which an FIA spokesperson has described as a "resounding majority", follows the warning from the Austrian Automobile Association (OAMTC) which claimed that should the proposals be accepted they risked the "erosion of the FIA's reputation".

The Austrian claim had the support of the UK, Belgian, Portuguese and Swiss representatives, and called for the postponement of the election in order that a "proper review and analysis" could be made.

Fearing a "dark period" for the FIA under Ben Sulayem's leadership, the OAMTC suggested that his actions in making the changes "are inviting comparisons with the excesses of political leaders intent on deconstructing the checks and balances that come with responsible governance".

Speaking after the vote, OAMTC chief executive Oliver Schmerold told the BBC: "We brought forward the motion to postpone the vote on the changes to a future assembly as we believe that they inherit some consequences which desire more discussion.

"This was supported by several other members. The president underlined that the statutory process has been followed and asked for the vote.

"We still believe that it is not good governance to change the longstanding rules for elections only four months before the submission deadline for candidates."

"The FIA has taken steps since 2021 to strengthen its corporate governance policies," an FIA spokesperson told the BBC. "These policies guide the FIA's operations and ensure its rules, practices and processes are robust and transparent.

"The proposed amendments to the FIA statutes are designed to further strengthen processes around governance and confidentiality. They will grant the nominations committee more time to examine the eligibility criteria of candidates, and help to ensure consistency and rigour in the electoral process.

"All proposed amendments were voted through by a super majority of FIA member clubs at the General Assemblies, in line with the democratic process which governs decision making within the federation."

Thus far, no one has officially applied to challenge Ben Sulayem for the presidency, though Carlos Sainz Snr has made clear his interest.