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“The dialogue should not go against us”: Departing FIA President Jean Todt feels that F1 is a bit too lenient towards teams criticizing them

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"The dialogue should not go against us": Departing FIA President Jean Todt feels that F1 is a bit too lenient towards teams criticizing them

Jean Todt feels that the FIA have been too relaxed with how the drivers and teams have been criticizing F1 officials. 

Formula 1 and it’s regulation of rules have come under massive scrutiny over the last few weeks. Ever since the end of the Abu Dhabi GP, race director Michael Masi has been on hot water with fans and teams over his decision making during the last few laps.

Even before the race in Yas Island, teams have clashed with the race stewards and directors all season long. Mercedes and Red Bull in particular have publicly called out the governing body of the sport on multiple occasions.

Jean Todt, the outgoing president of the FIA, feels that they should take a stricter approach when it comes to criticizing the officials publicly.

The former Ferrari boss cited the example of a football match to describe just how lenient the FIA have been.

“I was reading today in the French sport magazine, L’Equipe. The president of the Lyon Football Club, which is one of the most important teams.” Todt said.

“He has been forbidden for 10 games, because he spoke badly about the referee. So maybe we have been too permissive, you know.”

Also read: Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admits he isn’t sure about his star driver returning to F1 after what happened in Abu Dhabi

Dialogue between F1 teams and officials should be encouraged, but within limits

Todt highlighted the importance of teams, drivers and officials working together to make the sport better. Constructive criticism is something he encourages, but he believes that a certain line should not be crossed.

“I feel it is important to have a dialogue between the governing body, between the teams, between the drivers, between the commercial rights holders. But it should not go against us.”

“I was watching the race in Abu Dhabi. You see Max, after the first corner, when Lewis took him on the right side. He said, ‘I am persecuted’. And I mean, he is not. Nobody is, you know, but it’s perception.”

“In the heat of the action, I mean, you have your own feeling. But on the other side, you have the race director, you have the stewards, and you have a lot of organization. And are we perfect? We’re not perfect.”

The departing FIA president announced that the governing body of F1 will set up a commission that will review the ending of the Abu Dhabi GP. The commission will stand even after, and their main focus will be to improve the rules  in the future.

Also read: Max Verstappen’s mom reveals what he said to her after becoming world champion

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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