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Shaila-Ann Rao, who was appointed as the interim general secretary at the FIA back in June, has stepped down from her position after just six months. She worked for Mercedes prior to the FIA. While it is being said that she quit because her tenure was coming to an end, reports state that she resigned on her own decision. Apparently, the work was not what she expected.
A statement read that she was appointed to assist Mohammed Bin Sulayem during his transition period. Sulayem stated:
"Shaila-Ann has provided me with great support in respect to Formula 1, always acting with professionalism and integrity."
Rao worked as a special advisor to Mercedes before she became a part of the FIA. Interestingly, Red Bull's entire budget cap controversy revolved around her as it was thought that they were only targeted for the breach.
The official budget cap report found Red Bull to have exceeded the budget cap by $2.15 million (the limit of $145 million). The team was given a $7 million penalty and a 10% reduction in wind tunnel time for the upcoming season (a crucial part of the aerodynamic development of any car).
Shaila-Ann Rao was accused of supporting Mercedes through the FIA
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner had earlier revealed that Rao called him up after Max Verstappen won his second World Championship at the Japanese Grand Prix. He stated that he was informed that the team was found guilty of breaching the cost cap the previous year.
Since Rao previously worked with Mercedes, many (including officials at Red Bull) accused her of being biased towards the team.
Mohammed Bin Sulayem defended her. He stated that she supported him with the big decisions while she was working for him and that he would only defend his people:
"Shaila-Ann has been supportive a lot to me and I see her intelligence on big decisions. I will defend my people."
Some believe that the only reason she became a part of the FIA was to help Mercedes by bringing Red Bull down. In argument, people have also said that her leaving the post right after the season ends makes it even stronger. However, the official statement still puts that the only reason she left was that her tenure was coming to an end.
