F1 fans were preparing for another break after the action-packed triple-header, which concluded with the Sao Paulo GP. Little did they know that off-track action was about to heat up as the drivers had a plan of their own. That plan took shape when the GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers Association) dropped a bombshell through an open letter on Instagram.
The post made remarks against FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, asking him to ‘watch his tone’. The suggestion came in response to the ruling body’s action against Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc over swearing in the FIA press conferences. Ben Sulayem, therefore, finds himself in a difficult spot as to what his response to the targeted remark should be.
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“Two races ago he grabbed the Ferrari men by their hands to shake his own hand. That is just embarrassing. Lewis Hamilton prefers to walk right past him. I think that man should just try to be as invisible as possible. I think that would make things a lot better,” suggested Ziggo Sports’ F1 expert Rob van Gameren.
The Dutch reporter believes Ben Sulayem’s presence in the paddock makes F1 drivers uncomfortable. This unwelcoming attitude might change if the FIA president stays away from the race weekends as much as possible.
Van Gameren’s fellow panelist Jack Plooij also feels that the GPDA naming Ben Sulayem in the open letter proves their dislike for the FIA president and not the ruling body.
Is GPDA’s targeting of Ben Sulayem unfair?
The drivers’ association also raised the issue of financial transparency in the open letter. They called for fair reporting of what their extravagant fines were used for. When van Gameren raised this point, presenter Rob Kamphues reasoned with Ben Sulayem’s claim that the FIA was almost bankrupt under his predecessor Jean Todt, and he was simply trying to get the ruling body back on track.
While that may be a legitimate concern, it should not be an excuse to not report the use of fines, pointed out van Gameren. After all, drivers are often reprimanded with exorbitant fines which amount to thousands of dollars.
This may be the first time the drivers and the FIA have come face to face. The ruling body, however, has had its fair share of run-ins with F1. “It used to be a tough fight between the FOM and the FIA. Under Todt, it was reasonably under control, but under him (Ben Sulayem) it is coming back again,” warned Plooij.
