“Widespread disgust” in F1 at Ben Sulayem controversies – reports

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In the round-up: Formula 1 and its teams are reportedly becoming increasing unhappy with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem following a number of controversies

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In brief

“Widespread disgust” in F1 at Ben Sulayem controversies – reports

Formula 1 and its teams are reportedly becoming increasing unhappy with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem following a number of controversies.

Ben Sulayem has clashed with the sport and its owners Liberty Media over the last year over plans to expand the current F1 grid beyond its current ten teams. Yesterday, the FIA formally launched its application process to add two teams for 2025 at the earliest.

However, Ben Sulayem has courted controversy over comments that reports F1 was recently valued at $20billion were overinflated, while a sexist comment made on his now-defunct website 20 years ago resurfaced last week.

The BBC reports that figures within the sport are becoming increasingly disgruntled by the FIA president. “There has been widespread disgust,” the BBC quoted a senior source as saying, with one anonymous team principal stating that “everyone thinks he’s got to go. That is definitely the general view.”

Red Bull launch search for female esports talent

Red Bull are set to launch an initiative to find talented simracers who are female to join their official esports racing team.

The search, in partnership with new sponsors Rokt, aims to recruit talent into various roles within their esports activities.

“We’re thrilled to add Rokt as a team partner and we very much look forward to working together to bring a more diverse workforce into the sport and into the sim racing world,” said team principal Christian Horner.

“Rokt is committed to fostering diversity and empowering women both within its own organisation and in society at large and we’re proud to work together to launch a virtual program to recruit female esports drivers as one initiative under our new partnership.”

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Comment of the day

With the FIA now officially taking applications for new F1 teams, @flyingferrarim believes the teams should not have a right to object to any newcomers who may apply…

I agree that teams should have no say… these are not “franchises” that Toto keeps alluding to. F1 is the only form of motorsports that is closed off from the rest (aka not all that inclusive). Anyone can enter to race in Indycar, WEC, WRC, etc competitions without having to go through this nonsense. I would rather see 22/24 car fields and less races (18 is my ideal number) in a season. As long as the teams have say, we will not see 10+ teams.

When the economy tumbles we’ll see how healthy F1 is when all these manufacturers leave and privateer teams having to truck on. F1 will then be pleading privateer outfits to enter to fill a field but no one will have the startup funds to do so. More reason to not look down on privateer teams as they are the ones that provide stability to motorsports. Don’t get me wrong, OEMs have their place and add a lot to racing.
Hiland

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to Brawngp!

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Will Wood
Will has been a RaceFans contributor since 2012 during which time he has covered F1 test sessions, launch events and interviewed drivers. He mainly...

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39 comments on ““Widespread disgust” in F1 at Ben Sulayem controversies – reports”

  1. Nothing warrants that “widespread disgust” other than F1 business interest. Most certainly not that vague thing about something he said 20 years ago.

    1. Bingo.
      The teams want “their” money, and think that the FIA will take it away from them – while Liberty want everyone to believe they are all-powerful, and feel threatened by the FIA flexing their authority.

    2. Big kids crying over big kids money.

  2. I wish everyone would stop attacking Ben Sulayem, especially over something that happened 20+ years ago, as if such an outdated thing had any present-day relevance. Ultimately only FIA could sack him & I doubt they’d do this.

    Circuito de Jerez with messed up coloring.

    I agree with COTD that teams shouldn’t have a say on new ones entering.

    1. The teams remember booting out Max Mosley (only 2 FIA Presidents ago), even though none of the current team leaders were in post at the time. They also remember that it was necessary to keep F1 in existence.

      1. They also remember that it was necessary to keep F1 in existence.

        Nicely overstated, there.

  3. I don’t see the FIA just waking up about something posted on his website 20 years ago. Didn’t they have this information before he was made FIA president?? No due diligence?

    I’ve never been a fan of Ben Sulayem. Last year he made a statement that F1 drivers should refrain from speaking publicly on global issues or for causes they support, and compares it with him exercising restraint on preaching his religious beliefs. So, I’m not surprised to see him making sexist remarks. However, I’m shocked that someone like him even became FIA president…. but then again, secret funds and secret relationships of Middle east leaders with corrupt sports organisations is nothing new… so anything is possible.

    Hilarious that they had a fallout by Sulayem saying F1’s valuation was over inflated.. lol. All he has to do as FIA president is keep his mouth shut and not rock the boat… and that’s exactly what he’s done. He’s accomplished nothing for himself or the sport by making that statement.

    1. Didn’t they have this information before he was made FIA president?? No due diligence?

      You think they didn’t know?
      You think they care?

      I’ve never been a fan of Ben Sulayem

      Just as well that preceded your total disagreement and distaste with him about everything.
      Ever wondered how other FIA presidents get the position? Or is it different because they’ve been European?

      He’s accomplished nothing for himself or the sport by making that statement.

      Never mind that, how about Liberty totally embarrassing themselves over it. They had nothing at all to gain by publicly rebutting and antagonising the FIA over something that makes absolutely no difference to them.
      Were they genuinely looking for a buyer? Apparently not, so it’s nothing.
      All it has done is further damaged their partnership.

      1. Liberty totally embarrassing themselves over it.

        We are talking about a publicly traded company that has the fiduciary duty to its shareholders to protect their value.

        1. Yeah, so you keep saying.
          But that value wouldn’t have changed an iota whether they’d released their statement or not.

    2. However, I’m shocked that someone like him even became FIA president…. but then again, secret funds and secret relationships of Middle east leaders with corrupt sports organisations is nothing new… so anything is possible.

      Someone like him? What exactly do you mean by that?

    3. However, I’m shocked that someone like him even became FIA president…. but then again, secret funds and secret relationships of Middle east leaders with corrupt sports organisations is nothing new… so anything is possible.

      As if there is no secret funds and secret relationships of western leaders with corrupt sports organisations…

    4. @todfod They probably wouldn’t have thought anything of a 20-year-old comment had they known about it, unless more recent actions indicated that the sentiment underlying it was still seriously believed.

  4. Regardless of what people think about BSM he is elected, F1 team bosses are not. They do not represent motorsport. They are just 10 competitors out of many thousands. If they think they can impose their influence over this elected position, then serious questions need to be direct at them rather than the FIA.

    1. Absolutely.
      Also add that F1’s commercial rights holder also purchased their current position. They have no interest in F1 beyond making money out of it for exactly as long as they own it.

    2. If only there was “widespread disgust” among F1 teams about the “abysmal” state of their own operation, then maybe we wouldn’t have two teams winning everything since 2009.

      Anyway, thumbs up to the online F1 community for – by and large – seeing through this second rate smear campaign. Interesting times to see which reporters dance to Liberty’s tune and which report on the politics behind it all.

      1. When BSM was first elected, I was …. questioning the selection.
        Since, he seems to have been a good influence and done a surprisingly decent job. Say what you like, he gets stuff done.
        Is everyone going to like him, of course not.
        Look back on the exploits of Bernie E. and my favourite, Max Mosley and ask did the teams and fans like all they did and how they did it.?
        BSM seems sincerely interested in advancing and preserving F1. Some of the other players look to be only interested in $$$ and their concept of long term?, that’s about 18 months down the road.

        1. @rekibsn “Getting things done” appears to mostly involve generating liabilities and endangering F1’s continued existence (the “no politics” rule is a prime example of this but far from the only one). Bernie, Max and Jean had the sense to generate some assets before generating the liabilities.

      2. MichaelN, you do realise any such disgust would also have to be directed towards the FIA considering the misconduct it has admitted to doing (and is apparently proud of doing) to create that situation?

    3. Alan Dove, being elected does not mean they are monarchs once elected. The FIA is not Naboo. They can be recalled, demoted or not re-elected within the current FIA structure (with varying criteria applying to each of those options). The teams have previously managed to force Max Mosley to drop certain key ideas and decline re-election.

  5. You aren’t one of those agitators, are you?

    Ben: What?

    One of those outside agitators
    I hate ’em. I won’t stand for it.
    I want you out of here.

    Ben: What do you mean?
    Now you heard me: out of here.

    Ben: What for?

    Because I don’t like you.

    Hello darkness my old friend…

  6. Bingo

    And it’s not just the BBC, but most of the MSM who are owned by the same group of parasites.

    News outlets are simply thier mouthpieces for there very own agenda pushing.

  7. I reported myself accidentally
    😡

    *says that senior source and anonymous team principal.

    “everyone thinks he’s got to go. That is definitely the general view”

    So it’s everyone but not unanimous.

    1. So far I’ve managed to rule out Gunther.

    2. Strictly parsed, that means people generally think everyone thinks he has to go. That doesn’t require anyone to actually think that *facepalm*

  8. Andrew Benson never stops hitting new lows even by abysmal standard. He is elected by they (who are they ?) want him to go. The same people blaming MBS for his middle eastern mentality do have a flawed understanding of the word democracy. At the time Ben Sulayem made those comments same-sex marriage was still banned in the UK. Do the British organizations/teams/competitors should also go because that’s what they were thinking 20 years ago.

    This denigrating campaign and online bullying led by Liberty powerful PR machine against MBS tells you everything you need to know about the corporate mobster way the sport is currently run. I’m happy for Ben Sulayem to give liberty and their woke supporters the reality check they are asking for as they are currently pushing to appoint David Richards as their straw man.

    They know they can’t get Ben Sulayem defeated in the FIA presidency election so they are bullying him into resignation. What’s next ? Putting a camera in his bedroom…

    1. If there is one thing everyone in F1 learns quickly, it’s that some countries are more equal than others.

    2. @tifoso1989 You may wish to re-read the article; it seems you have not understood what was written.

      Ben Sulayman’s electors would be the FIA Senate, which has one representative, and one vote, from each country’s lead (motor)sporting and mobility organisations (countries where the same representative covers both give two votes to that representative, in the interests of fairness) that is in good standing with the FIA.

      The team bosses are the “they” referred to by Andrew Benson. Andrew’s memory is also long enough to remember the team bosses have already successfully persuaded Max Mosley to not seek re-election, and that the teams did it because they believed F1’s survival depended on doing so.

      Given the liabilities Ben Sulayman has so far generated in the relatively short time he has been in power, one could argue that he’s had kinder treatment than Max received (which rather undermines the nationalist argument you cited). After all, neither Jean nor Max ever managed to get their commerical promoters (on whose income the FIA depends for its continued existence) to cite a breach of contract allegation against the FIA in public.

      The sexist comment won’t unseat Ben and everyone knows it. It’s the more fundamental stuff that will do so. (As it happens, the sexist comment could thread back in, but that looks more like a feint than a serious attack in the landscape).

      1. After all, neither Jean nor Max ever managed to get their commerical promoters (on whose income the FIA depends for its continued existence) to cite a breach of contract allegation against the FIA in public.

        That’s probably because the commercial rights holder of the day had a bit more decorum (in regard to their F1 partnership) and wasn’t so keen on turning the teams (and public opinion) against the FIA.

        Remind me, who does F1’s commercial rights holder rely on for income?
        That would probably be F1’s owner and administrator, wouldn’t it? And its competitors, who also all rely on the FIA.
        They rely on each other for success – but if it all hit the fan, the FIA would still have a product that’s worth something, while Liberty would have a huge debt.

      2. @alianora-la-canta

        You may wish to re-read the article; it seems you have not understood what was written.

        Oh no thank you ! I can’t bear Andrew Benson. I have been reading his articles for more than a decade and I can tell you he has no reasoning whatsoever. Like I said before he never disappoints even by his abysmal standard. That was a false interrogation. MBS is elected and the team bosses are not.

        Andrew’s memory is also long enough to remember the team bosses have already successfully persuaded Max Mosley to not seek re-election, and that the teams did it because they believed F1’s survival depended on doing so.

        I strongly disagree. The main reason why Max Mosley chose not to seek re-election in 2009 due to a controversy over his personal life. The teams couldn’t force him to resign in the first place, how they could have persuaded him not to seek re-election ?

        Another reason is the loss of support from both Bernie Ecclestone and Luca Di Montezemolo who together were politically influential at the time. That’s why he endorsed Todt as his preferred choice of successor. Todt was sacked by Marchionne over disagreement on the way he used to overspend the budget in those unlimited budget days. He was the perfect choice since he was in a strong disagreement with both Ferrari and Ecclestone.

        It’s important to note that Mosley’s decision not to seek re-election was likely a combination of factors, including the personal and legal implications of the controversy over his personal life, as well as the desire to avoid further damage to the reputation of the FIA.

        As for MBS, the FIA is an organization and the maximum they can get is a fine. Since he is elected, they cannot get him out of his office for just expressing an opinion. As for Liberty, playing the bully with the regulator can not only backfire but can bring an end to their wall street fantasies.

        Imagine if the FIA drops the electrification from its vision to F1 or even announce they are thinking of that. Imagine if Ben Sulayem announces that the FIA are studying to bring back the V10s, the MGU-H, or re-introduce refuelling by 2030. All those manufacturers will be running for cover. Imagine if the FIA appoints another “Masi” and we will have the next championship finals decided like the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP.

        The FIA and F1 need each other but the FIA don’t have the same fiduciary obligations Liberty have to its investors and shareholders.

        1. @tifoso1989 Warning! Long post alert!

          Had you read the article and understood it fully, you’d have seen that on this occasion Andrew Benson had a reasoning, whether you think it is sound or not.

          As to the rest: the controversy in Max’s personal life definitely didn’t make him consider not standing, otherwise it wouldn’t have been a big deal when he made that decision on the back of the F1 teams starting to set up their splinter series (rather, he would already have decided to not seek re-election and announced it in his own time), he’d not have threatened to reverse that decision when Ferrari noted it had been in the right about the budget cap afterwards (as that would have undermined his reasoning) and he certainly wouldn’t have done a U-turn on his budget cap policies in the immediate vicinity of his announcement. (There’s also the point that if he’d wanted to leave due to the personal controversy, he had ample opportunity to do so during or immediately after the Extraordinary Council vote that turned out to reveal he had as much backing as ever from his electors at that point).

          The teams were (relatively) easily able to persuade Max not to seek re-election because they were in a position to attempt a splinter series. There was no need to force a resignation as the controversy that caused the teams to want to remove Max happened in the final year of his term The question of whether that series was viable was never fully answered because it soon became apparent that F1 was less viable than the splinter series due to the weaknesses that Max had been warned about several times prior to attempting the budget cap. This meant that using the formal FIA mechanism to remove a FIA President, let alone demanding an immediate resignation, was unnecessary – provided the threat was neutralised. Which they did (with significant consequences, good and bad, for F1’s subsequent development).

          The FIA is 100% capable of getting the FIA President out of office for any reason it wishes (including expressing an opinion). As long as someone (or several someones) can convince enough national sporting/automotive representatives to support an Extraordinary Council Meeting being held, and then canvass enough electors’ opinions to outvote those who want the FIA President to stay, it can happen in 6 weeks flat. If enough electors thinks the teams are right, then that vote can go against the FIA President, even if no team considers taking steps to make that happen.

          The FIA can get more than a fine (although a big enough fine could itself make the FIA unviable, and these can be awarded for severe enough infractions of the law). It has a conditional monopoly on European motorsport. If it loses that due to misbehaviour, it would threaten the viability of the FIA as an organisation – even if the extreme but available step is not taken by a French court to disband the FIA altogether (something the courts there can do in sufficiently extraordinary circumstances). The FIA has responsibilities to its members to not undertake actions that undermine its survival, and those are just as real as Liberty’s obligation to make money for its shareholders. (Note that Liberty is perfectly free to deliberately self-destruct, provided it can convince shareholders that this is in their benefit – a freedom the FIA lacks. Just as the FIA is able to do things that don’t earn stakeholders money as long as it advances the organisation’s cause).

          1. @alianora-la-canta

            Warning! Long post alert!

            You’re more than welcome ! I enjoy reading your rational very well written comments btw even if we don’t agree.

  9. I am disgusted with Liberty and team bosses for their spiteful attempts to destabilise the FIA President simply because he will not bend down to their interests.

    Good on him, he is there to protect and develop motor sport not to provide ever bigger profits to the greedy team and rights holders.

  10. Rokt is committed to fostering diversity and empowering women both within its own organisation and in society at large

    Last time I checked, the only thing Rokit was doing was being the most questionable ‘sponsor’ of anything. Heck, it was in one of the most recent round-ups where the Sportico article did a deep-dive on the company and its shady business.

    Really tells you how serious Red Bull is taking this…

    1. I think you are confusing Rokt with Rokit. They are not the same company: https://twitter.com/racefansdotnet/status/1621264107272916995

  11. There’s a clash of cultures isn’t there. F1 and FIA have been basically western democracy values, and now they’ve carelessly let in some middle east tribal autocracy values, with maledom, control freakery, casual lies and censorship. Just because he was a rally driver! And also represents a lot of dollars. And obviously he has some appeal to a certain kind of fan, but at the moment these are a fairly small minority, with quite a lot more accounts than actual people.

  12. Kimberley Barrass
    3rd February 2023, 23:16

    That’s a depth map – really interesting to see them getting the nuances of a track – I’m assuming this was shortly after a lazer scan was built out and the mesh adjusted – or after building out the mesh from the lazer scan. Sim companies are mad! :)

  13. This scheme is just too transparent. Luckily the teams behave like children and we can easily see through their motives. I have addressed it many times during the 2021 season; there are some out there that really have no place in this sport and really really never heard of good sportsmanship. It is known who they are and what their antics are and how they channel the press to do their work. Pity.

    1. I want to add to that: this perfectly exposes what has been happening with Schumacher, Alonso, etc before and Max in 2021 by the UK press, as a non UK success has always been difficult to accept within F1. Character assassination to gain something for yourself. And the masses all will go with it, instead of forming an opinion of their own.

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