The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, strengthened its growing presence in the United States with participation at Women in Motorsport North America’s influential Women with Drive Summit in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

Erin Bourke represented the FIA’s United Against Online Abuse (UAOA) campaign, moderating a panel with spokespeople from Microsoft’s Forza, Nvidia, and the 6-times NHRA Pro Stock World Champion Erica Enders. From sharing personal experiences with online abuse to discussing the use of AI in creating cutting edge technological solutions against online hate, the panel offered insights into how we can reclaim the digital space. The FIA’s involvement underscores its increasing commitment to the US motorsports industry, and highlights the organisation’s determination to advance safety, inclusion and responsible innovation across all forms of mobility.

The summit was partnered by California-based SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association), the newest member of the FIA. The relationship with SEMA represents another significant expansion of FIA membership in the US, and follows a landmark moment earlier this month when FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem opened the iconic SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the first FIA President ever to do so.

Advancing education and research with leading US institutions

Participation at the fifth Women with Drive summit comes as the FIA strengthens its academic and educational footprint in the United States. In partnership with the Indiana-based University of Notre Dame, the FIA is undertaking pioneering research into the impact of online abuse on college athletes and the role of artificial intelligence in detecting and addressing online abuse in sport - a first-of-its-kind collaboration in global motorsport governance in the region.

This work complements the leadership of United Against Online Abuse, which the FIA President founded to unite sport, industry, academia, policy-makers and technology platforms behind a single common goal: Combatting online abuse at both elite and grassroots levels.

Indiana’s long-standing heritage in motorsport — from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to its thriving engineering and STEM ecosystem — makes the FIA’s expanded educational and research presence in the state particularly significant.

Alessandra Malhamé, People and Culture & D&I, FIA said: “Our relationship with the United States is strategically important to the FIA’s mission to shape a safe, innovative, and inclusive future for global mobility. Women With Drive, our expanding collaboration with SEMA, and our academic partnership with the University of Notre Dame all reflect a long-term commitment: engaging deeply with US industry, supporting education, and driving meaningful change in how sport can champion diversity and confront issues such as online abuse. We are proud to contribute to this year’s summit and to represent the values the FIA stands for internationally.”

Championing inclusion and responsible innovation

The Women with Drive Summit brings together senior leaders from across motorsport, automotive, technology, media and education to advance representation and drive cultural change across the sector. The FIA’s participation highlights the organisation’s belief that empowering diverse voices — and tackling the barriers that hold them back — is essential to building a more resilient and future-ready mobility and motor sport ecosystem.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Sophia Martin-Pavlou, Director of Corporate Communications – smartin-pavlou@fia.com