The Ukrainian government has written to the FIA asking it to reverse its decision to lift the ban on Russian and Belarusian competitors in international motorsport, a move that has caused significant tension within the sport. The ban had been in place since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, and its removal last week, reportedly pushed by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, blindsided Ukraine's own motorsport federation.

Ukraine's Minister of Youth and Sports formally asked FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and the FIA World Motor Sport Council to reconsider, with the Ukrainian federation warning the decision could undermine competition integrity and noting that many Ukrainian motorsport competitors have been killed in the war. The FIA said the change followed a World Motor Sport Council vote and mirrored a similar move by the International Olympic Committee on 7 July, while insisting it still bans Russia and Belarus from hosting events. Russian federation president Boris Rotenberg, who is under US and UK sanctions, welcomed the reversal as the result of "diplomatic work" by his organisation.