Graham Stoker is the most powerful figure in motorsport you’ve never heard of. As FIA Deputy President for Sport since 2009, he is Jean Todt’s right-hand man in modernizing the FIA, the global governing body of motorsport, and running programs to develop the sport around the world.
He’s been in the room where it happened for decades; As a key player in the World Motor Sport Council, he has been a referee on high profile cases like Crashgate (Singapore 2008), Spygate (McLaren 2007) and the 2010 Ferrari team, and has been a driving force behind the 2020 motorsport restart after the first COVID -19 shock.
Now that Todt is stepping down as FIA president, he is running for the top job in the elections due later this year. He spoke exclusively to Autosport for the #ThinkForward series about his decision to stand.
“I think motorsport did a great job during this pandemic,” says Stoker. “If we come out of this, I want to make sure that we build trust and get investment back so that we can steadily overcome this pandemic. And that we are also addressing some of these challenges that we face. I mean, the whole question of powertrains, what fuels we should be using, let’s turn this round into an opportunity. So that’s it, I suppose in my heart I want to try to make a difference.
“And I think I have the skills. I’ve seen so many important decisions in motorsport and got a real insight. I signed two Concorde contracts, renegotiated the World Rally Championship and set up a new Formula E championship. I want to use this experience. “
Stoker discovered the racing bug as a child: “I read Autosport when I was 12,” he says, and was interested in driving just to hit the barrier that blocks so many who want to race: the unaffordable Costs. It gave him a lifelong desire to make the sport more accessible, and much of his energy over the past 12 years has been devoted to growing popular sports. The clubs in 146 countries organize motorsport events and oversee accessibility programs such as FIA Women in Motorsport.
In addition to his career as a lawyer, he switched to sports administration in Great Britain. After five years as a permanent steward in the British Touring Car Championship, he became chairman of the RAC Motorsport Council and did his part in saving the British Grand Prix hosted by the late Max Mosley, then FIA President, and Bernie Ecclestone, which were compared, the 2000 event was threatened to become a “country fair”. Stoker worked with the national and regional government to have new roads built by 2002 to improve access for the 120,000 F1 fans.
Stoker then became an F1 steward and took a seat on the FIA World Motor Sport Council. This brought him into contact with Todt, who, prior to the 2009 elections, after Mosley’s resignation, had been looking for a deputy for sports who knew all the corridors of the FIA.
“At this point you have to keep in mind that I was a judge with the FIA at the International Court of Justice, headed the anti-doping panel and became a Formula 1 steward,” said Stoker in an interview conducted before Mosley’s death on Monday. “I knew the World Council and the clubs around the world, the 146 nations in which we operate. So that’s what I brought to Jean’s team.
“Jean was recognized as one of the best managers of his generation. And I brought the knowledge of the clubs, the knowledge of the FIA. We worked together and I am proud to say that I was elected three times with his team. It was such an interesting time. “
Stoker has elected nine-time Le Mans 24-hour winner Tom Kristensen as his associate president for sport after serving as chairman of the FIA Drivers’ Committee for five years.
How does Stoker see the role of the FIA in modern motorsport and how does it help the sport to grow? “It’s not just about delivering and organizing safe and real sport, it’s also about growing the sport, looking for talent around the world, driving some of the political debates, and reaching our unique industry with its advanced technology,” says he. “All of these things that a modern international association does. In addition, our mobility column is aimed at all motorists around the world. I mean, we operate in 146 countries. We have so many members. And really, this leads to an opportunity where we can go through some of the thought processes and change the way that guidelines are formulated. I am very interested in making political decisions. “
Stoker describes the 12 years of the Todt FIA presidency as a “silent revolution” aimed at modernizing the federal government.
“Looking back on what we’ve achieved, it really has gone from being a regulator to a modern international association,” he explains. “Things like developing our clubs with important programs around the world, supporting our clubs and empowering them. It is our core business to organize events. This is really what it is all about, organizing safe, real events, but also getting into other areas of inclusivity with women in motorsport programs to try and spot talent around the world, base programs. What excites me is the social responsibility and the role we play in providing STEM training, for example. “
Stoker has a driving simulator rig in his house: “I love driving Le Mans,” he says, and is committed to developing esports and sim racing as the new frontier for the sport. A new boost came with the International Olympic Committee, which is now ready to include racing in its program.
“This will lead to the Olympics in due course, which is very, very exciting,” but it’s the accessibility it offers that appeals to him most. “You can take it around the world, we can take it to Africa, we can take it anywhere in Asia. We can set up these simulators and try to attract teenagers and get them into our sport. It’s a great thing, it’s part of our sport and we’re going to grow it. It will keep getting stronger. “
There are many obvious threats and opportunities to the future of real motorsport. The biggest challenge used to be safety, and that’s still a crusade, but sustainability is the biggest challenge now.
“We have to act to protect our sport,” says Stoker. “We have a great story to tell, like the Formula 1 engine at the moment, which is over 50% efficient. Nobody has ever built such an efficient engine. Formula E, see what we’re doing there with fast charging and battery technology. I think hydrogen will come in; We saw that hydrogen will be a big part of our future with the track car at Le Mans last year. And the other thing that I find fascinating is e-fuels and the ability to capture carbon from the atmosphere and use solar energy to create a synthetic fuel that we can burn in our engines. Every time we start an engine, we’re helping climate change. I mean there are so many options.
“And then there’s the whole idea of inclusivity that is spreading around the world. My experience, this difficulty I had while driving, wants everyone with skills around the world to get the opportunity to get into a competition car, rally or race without any connections, just through talent. I think this is a real goal that we should achieve. These challenges are there, but I think we can meet them. I think this is a time of opportunity. And I would really love to be part of it and provide some of the solutions. “
The FIA presidential elections will take place in late 2021 before the FIA General Assembly and awards ceremony in December. So far there is another confirmed candidate, former rally driver Mohammed Bin Sulayem.
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