In 2023, FIA President Mohammad Ben Sulayem found himself at the center of controversy following a series of tweets. He claimed that the $20 billion price tag put on F1 was far more than the worth of the sport. Legal acts followed, but Ben Sulayem escaped with hardly a scratch on him. Caught in controversy yet again, F1 expert and journalist Joe Saward believes Ben Sulayem will walk away easily. Writing in his online blog, Saward claimed Ben Sulayem’s patronage will aid him in walking free.
“If an FIA President can survive a vote of confidence after being on the front page of a national newspaper in England pictured in a bizarre sadomasochistic orgy, then one can get away with pretty much anything. Such is the power of patronage.”
Following last year’s incidents, F1 legal counsel Sacha Woodward Hill and Liberty Media’s Chief Legal Officer Renee Wilm “caned” Ben Sulayem. They pointed out that Ben Sulayem‘s claims about the commercial activities of F1 were “unacceptable.” They added it opposed the “unequivocal undertakings” given by the FIA. These undertakings claimed the organization would not do anything to prejudice the management and/or ownership of any rights. However, the matter died down just as quickly as it rose, with Ben Sulayem emerging as the supposed ‘victor.’
Saward also claims to have heard of several potential issues that may come as complaints against Ben Sulayem. However, he opted to not talk about them to avoid making any unnecessary claims. Furthermore, Ben Sulayem’s recent meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggests the Istanbul circuit “could” soon be back. Saward also fears there may be chances of Toto and Susie Wolff returning to haunt him after the exploits of last year’s investigation.
Ben Sulayem under threat of not getting re-elected
For almost two decades, Max Mosley sat in the chair Ben Sulayem currently sits in. During that tenure, Mosley once came close to being ousted from the office. However, one of his supporters rallied 41 of 104 members together and saved Mosley’s back. Eventually, the supporter became FIA’s Vice President. Saward believes a similar case may arise in the FIA once more. However, this time, the members would rally against their leader instead of supporting him. Saward claimed that most of the members are trying their best to stop Ben Sulayem from doing things that may threaten FIA’s future.
Hence, they want to oust him from his position. But Saward is almost certain the members will fail to do so. Hence, he thinks that these members sit in silence until it is time for re-election. Once the time comes, they will vote against Ben Sulayem and take his power away. The FIA boss, however, seems to be a man who is unaware of what is going on around him. He continues to ignore the warning signs and may well be headed towards a world of trouble. Given the same, Saward issued a warning for Ben Sulayem claiming, “If you do not listen for the signs, you do not hear the bus that runs you over.”
