FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem was recently involved in a controversy surrounding the F1 world. Reports claimed the former rally driver intervened with the sport on two separate occasions, which is against the norms. Noting the same, F1 Journalist Joe Saward thinks Ben Sulayem might be adopting a Donald Trump-like reverse psychology move to make himself more famous.
The first incident came during the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where he allegedly intervened to overturn a penalty on Fernando Alonso and the next came when reports claimed Sulayem was against the Las Vegas GP circuit getting the green flag. A whistleblower soon complained to the FIA’s ethics committee about the same. Subsequently, the committee launched an investigation but cleared Sulayem of all allegations, claiming he did nothing wrong. Nonetheless, the relationship between Sulayem and F1 continues to take a hit after repeated clashes.
Per senior F1 Journalist Joe Saward in his latest online blog, the FIA needs to analyze its perception. They need to understand why people laughed at them when Sulayem got the clearance. Hardly anyone was surprised with the ruling, and the organization needs to address these concerns. Much of it has to do with the money that comes to the FIA, thanks to F1. Hence, the organization needs to fix its image as soon as possible rather than increasing enmity with F1.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem continues to argue that an external force is threatening the FIA. Continuing to plead innocence, the 62-year-old believes his argument will unite the membership that could switch its allegiance at any time. Per Saward, Sulayem thinks he can adopt a strategy similar to what happened with Donald Trump. Sulayem believes if Trump could gain more traction when he attacked others, he, too, could achieve a similar feat.
Ben Sulayem continues to defend himself and his organization against F1-related allegations
After a series of allegations against him, Ben Sulayem had no option but to respond to them. RacingNews 365 quoted Sulayem’s words as he launched a ‘vehement defense’ against the “despicable” allegations against him. The FIA President believes that these allegations have come only to destabilize his leadership. Furthermore, Sulayem alleges that these moves come as a form of undermining FIA’s authority.
He added that despite the “attacks on my character” and the FIA, they remain strong, and their resolve is greater than ever. Sulayem also claimed that the FIA has been a victim of malicious leaks of confidential and sensitive nature. These leaks have played a role in tarnishing the image of the organization further.
However, the FIA President maintains he is committed to preserving an environment of transparency. He wants to maintain an unwavering integrity within the FIA and insists he shall remain “true to his commitment” as the President of the Association.
