[Rules] The FIA - what's occurring there?

[ArnageWRC]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

That guy has to go. Gawd knows why he was appointed in the first place.

He won the vote in the Presidential elections, beating DR......

F1 has been out to get him since then; he's not one of their own, from F1....

Funny that no other series has had a problem with him, only F1.......It's always F1.......

[Sodemo]

Originally Posted by ArnageWRC

He won the vote in the Presidential elections, beating DR......

F1 has been out to get him since then; he's not one of their own, from F1....

Funny that no other series has had a problem with him, only F1.......It's always F1.......

DR? Dave Richards?

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by ArnageWRC

He won the vote in the Presidential elections, beating DR......

F1 has been out to get him since then; he's not one of their own, from F1....

Funny that no other series has had a problem with him, only F1.......It's always F1.......

When your mixing it up with the Patrician, why bother lowering yourself by getting involved in Plebeians business? F1 is top of the FIA pyramid and it seems to be where he likes to play.

I do agree that he was likely elected because he was an outsider when compared to a "traditional" FIA mover and shaker (i.e. Eurocentric). And that does put a target on his back. But it doesn't inherently make him any better (more effective, less corruptible, etc.) than those who came before him. I like the idea of an FIA shakeup, but so far he seems to be a bit of a slow motion trainwreck and out of his depth.

Richard

[steve_r]

How many of the issues would go away if the top man was replaced, but the remaining FIA structure & personnel remained the same, I wonder?

Maybe Sepp Blatter could be brought in to replace him?

[chillibowl]

not a fan of all this politicking and these turf wars that seem to be dominating, but if the issue is that FOM should be giving the FIA more money then im of the feeling that that is probably a fair concern?

dont know the numbers but 40m a year (or at least that is the number i have heard recently) seems like a pittance relative to FOM's current and increasing turnover and/or one based on what most would consider a terrible deal. of course a deal is a deal but that doesn't mean one side cant act in a way to force a renegotiation.

whomever is or will be in charge of the FIA going forward will probably be of the same opinion? rather, im not sure how one would win their next election unless they were explicitly looking at F1 to better subsidize the rest of the FIA's activities?

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by steve_r

How many of the issues would go away if the top man was replaced, but the remaining FIA structure & personnel remained the same, I wonder?

Maybe Sepp Blatter could be brought in to replace him?

If (if) the accusations are true, then I'd say the structure is fine. It appears that he himself is getting involved in things that he should not.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

not a fan of all this politicking and these turf wars that seem to be dominating, but if the issue is that FOM should be giving the FIA more money then im of the feeling that that is probably a fair concern?

dont know the numbers but 40m a year (or at least that is the number i have heard recently) seems like a pittance relative to FOM's current and increasing turnover and/or one based on what most would consider a terrible deal. of course a deal is a deal but that doesn't mean one side cant act in a way to force a renegotiation.

whomever is or will be in charge of the FIA going forward will probably be of the same opinion? rather, im not sure how one would win their next election unless they were explicitly looking at F1 to better subsidize the rest of the FIA's activities?

Considering that the FIA is a not-for-profit organisation, why do they need more money? Is it because the current president wants more opulent buildings, maybe one in the Middle East, to treat as his fiefdom?

I think that he is just greedy, and wants to feather his nest. Apparently he is already being investigated for claiming expenses that he should not be doing because he chooses to charter private aircraft to fly around the world. Makes you wonder what else will be claimed or exposed by the whistleblowers who seem to have their knifes out for him?

[chillibowl]

sure but that hardly makes him unique and everyone likes a free lunch and nice place to eat it in.

but surely that does not discount the need to ensure the sport is supervised by a properly funded group of FIA officials?

of course, i am no position to say whether or not what FOM pay does not properly cover the FIA's expenses in this regard so cannot discount greed as their motivation but i also cant imagine that FOM is paying their fair share.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

That guy has to go. Gawd knows why he was appointed in the first place.

Money.

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Considering that the FIA is a not-for-profit organisation, why do they need more money? Is it because the current president wants more opulent buildings, maybe one in the Middle East, to treat as his fiefdom?

There was an interview with MBS a few months ago, or at least him responding to a question or making a statement, where he said that there is now a lot more FIA provides that the current funding share from FOM doesn't pay for.

I guess he's referring to things like the bunker in Geneva reviewing decisions and looking for transgressions. He may have a point, but I fail to see the need to make it a public thing - more something to discuss with FOM and be part of negotiations on the new Concorde Agreement.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Money.

This may very well be the root reason, but my impression is that he won the election as he campaigned as an outsider of the traditional Eurocentric elite who have run FIA since... forever. Going back to it's founding in the early 1900's the FIA presidents have come from... Belgium, France, Italy, UK and Austria. MBS breaks that string of core old-school European leadership. He ran on an "FIA for Members” campaign in which he promised a focus that was more inclusive of the rest of the world and less about Europe. So (as expected) he pulled in lots of votes from the middle east as well as South America and Africa. I think he was effectively a vote against the past/status quo. He probably won for the right reasons. Him being the champion for positive change might not be working out as advertised.

Richard

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by Richard C

This may very well be the root reason, but my impression is that he won the election as he campaigned as an outsider of the traditional Eurocentric elite who have run FIA since... forever. Going back to it's founding in the early 1900's the FIA presidents have come from... Belgium, France, Italy, UK and Austria. MBS breaks that string of core old-school European leadership. He ran on an "FIA for Members” campaign in which he promised a focus that was more inclusive of the rest of the world and less about Europe. So (as expected) he pulled in lots of votes from the middle east as well as South America and Africa. I think he was effectively a vote against the past/status quo. He probably won for the right reasons. Him being the champion for positive change might not be working out as advertised.

Richard

Probably just a co incidence the FIA annual meetings have been held in Azerbaijan and Rwanda - those well known Motorsporting nations. Have a look at which Nations voted for who - enough said

[Tourer]

List of MBS / F1 "high"lights from MotorSport magazine. For someone who did say that he'd "step back" from F1 & have the FIA Single Seater head look after it instead, he just stays involved doesn't he?

Remains to be seen if there is any truth at all in the current whistleblower allegations but to me, the claims made re Las Vegas are incredibly serious and also appear to show a lack of understanding of how circuit homologation and sign-off is done.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by Tourer

List of MBS / F1 "high"lights from MotorSport magazine. For someone who did say that he'd "step back" from F1 & have the FIA Single Seater head look after it instead, he just stays involved doesn't he?

Remains to be seen if there is any truth at all in the current whistleblower allegations but to me, the claims made re Las Vegas are incredibly serious and also appear to show a lack of understanding of how circuit homologation and sign-off is done.

I doubt it was really about circuit Homologation….

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

I doubt it was really about circuit Homologation….

Agree. More the lever he allegedly was trying to use. Point is though, if a circuit comes up short, it is given a chance to rectify - so failing homologation only occurs if the circuit can’t or won’t rectify the problem(s).

[Tourer]

Team Principals say "wait for the investigation to be completed and don't pre-judge".

[chillibowl]

in other news, F1 team principles get together to invent irony!

[Tourer]

FIA issues a Statement - "nothing to see here (for now)" re question of investigations (maybe not) into alleged MBS actions.

[Tourer]

Also, Autosport has posted an interview with MBS behind its paywall that was originally published by GP Racing towards the end of last year - prior to accusations against MBS, accusations against the Wolffs, accusations against Horner etc. Also prior to FOM decision on Andretti, which doesn't get a mention.

Here it is:

He’s quite a character. Since taking office, Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been nothing like his predecessor. Whereas Jean Todt preferred to keep a low profile and shunned the media, the new FIA president isn’t afraid to speak his mind – not least when it comes to the patrimony he was handed by his predecessor. In fact, he makes it pretty clear that he’s not too impressed with what he’s inherited.

His style is not to everyone’s taste. And it’s fair to say that in the two years he’s been at the helm, he’s upset quite a few people in the F1 paddock. There are those who believe that the championship will be better off without the FIA and its new, often combative, Emirati president – and, for the first time in a decade and a half, there’s talk of a breakaway series.

Yet he’s also made it clear that he’s not there to be liked. He says he wants to reposition the FIA and insists he’s there to defend the interests of the sport, not business. He was the main protagonist behind the push to expand the grid – despite clear opposition from Formula One Management (FOM) and the existing teams.

Like anyone with an agenda, he’s easy to interview – because he doesn’t need to be asked tricky questions to give strong answers. He will steer the conversation in the direction he wants it to go and won’t be bashful in talking about his own achievements, or his views on the role of the FIA.

GP Racing sat down with Ben Sulayem in Abu Dhabi, a few hours before the final race of last season, to talk about his racing career, his first two years in the president’s chair, and his vision for the future of the FIA and F1. This interview was originally published in the March issue, before an investigation was launched into two claims made by a whistleblower against Ben Sulayem that allege he interfered with championship officiating.

GP Racing: Mr President, let’s start by talking about your path in racing. Where did your passion for motorsport come from?

Mohammed Ben Sulayem: I’ve always loved speed. As a kid?I remember watching the speedometer, watching the driver and what he was doing with the pedals – and somehow it always made me feel good. I started driving when I was 10.

In the summer we used to go to the desert for a few months. And I remember my father would come from the government, and he’d sleep in the afternoon – and then I’d ‘borrow’ the car. I’d push the car out of the parking space so that the driver wouldn’t hear it – I don’t know how I found the strength to?do that – and then I’d slowly reverse it and go for a drive.

And then I’d come back and put the car in exactly the?same position so nobody would notice. But, of course, there would be less fuel in the tank, so eventually they found out. But it took them a long time to figure out that it was me?who was taking the car.

GPR: Being a racing driver in those days wasn’t a very prestigious career, to say the least, in the region, was it?

MBS: I was kind of a pioneer when I started. Of course, people didn’t accept the sport. If my father were alive, I don’t think he would have allowed me to follow this path. But I’m sure he would have been very proud of me now. Perception has changed.

Like in other countries, once you have a hero, a champion, it becomes popular. So it was me who pushed those boundaries. But then, when I started winning, the whole thing turned around. Now people had a hero... because we weren’t doing very well in football and other sports, so I was maybe the only sports hero or champion for many years.

GPR: You are a 14-time Middle East Rally champion. Nasser Al-Attiyah is getting close now to that record…
?
MBS: Records are there to be broken. I’m proud to hold this record. And when someone says “I want to break the record”, it means that I am the target. And if I am the target, then I’m somebody! So let them do it. If they break the record, then somebody else will be motivated to go and break that record.

When I remember those days now, I’m shivering. We used to do up to 240km/h on gravel in the desert. 240 over blind crests. If someone comes from the other side, it’s the end...

Once I won, I never looked back. Ever since I won the Middle East Rally Championship, I’ve never lost again. But the event I will always remember, the one that’s engraved in my mind and heart, is 1988. I had a car accident that year and broke my neck, C5 and C6 [vertebrae]. And I couldn’t go to Oman, one of the toughest three-day rallies.

I went to Germany, to a professor who said he could help me. They had to graft a bone, my vertebrae were gone and they had to drill holes and put in titanium pins. But I was still leading the championship, even after Oman, and the next race was in Dubai, my home race. My doctors gave me hope. Hope that I could have lived without!

I asked as if I was joking, which I wasn’t, “Can I drive?” And the German professor said, “I can put you in the cast, but will you take the pain?” I said, “Of course.” But my vertebrae were destroyed, and the disc was gone, and all the load had to go on my nerves. And they put me in the cast and, so that I could see where I was going, I had to tilt my seat – and I could drive.

I remember I had the certificate from him that I’m stable here [points to his neck]. But I probably wasn’t here [points to his forehead]. Anyway, I took part in the rally and won it. So, I won the championship. And I still remember, before one of the stages, a marshal came up to me and said: “Excuse me, champion, but you shouldn’t do that. It’s too dangerous.” And he started to cry, so I tried to calm him down...

It’s funny to look back now, knowing that it’s behind me. But I think it shaped me, it shaped my will, my passion, my determination. French television then nominated me for the most courageous sportsman at the time, but I couldn’t go to the ceremony because I was undergoing surgery.

GPR: We were talking about heroes. Who were yours? ?

MBS: I had a lot of respect for guys like Walter Rohrl, Henri Toivonen, Hannu Mikkola, Stig Blomqvist. These drivers were legends and they will always be special to me. And you’re right to ask about heroes. That question actually makes me think of something else.

You know there is this talk about a possible split between the FIA and Formula 1. Have you heard about that? A split! A split between what? I’ve said it many times and I will say it again. It’s easier for the Pope of the Vatican to get married a hundred times and divorced a hundred times than for F1 and the FIA to split.
You asked me about heroes... And you can ask the same question to young drivers: “Who is your idol?” or “Whose?path do you want to follow?” And if they want to go into Formula 1, they’ll tell you Fangio, Senna, Schumacher, Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso. All the legends of the sport.?That is our history. You can’t imagine the sport without it.

GPR: You studied abroad, right?

MBS: Yes, in the USA and also in the UK and Northern Ireland. But, you know, it’s not just your education, rallying brings you closer to the people. You go to remote areas, you meet people in villages, you meet people who don’t have phones... You’re out there practicing and, if your car breaks down, you might sleep in it before someone comes to rescue you. And you help people because if you don’t, they won’t help you. So those things have shaped my personality too,?it’s not just education.

GPR: You chose this path, a career as a motorsport politician if you like. Why did you do it? What drives you?

MBS: I love the challenge. I’m motivated by the challenge. And if someone wants me to win, they just have to say the wrong words to me, “You can’t do it.” As soon as I hear that, I’ll do everything to win. If you ask me if I was confident that I was going to be president of the FIA, I’ll say yes. Yes, I was. It’s not ego. Work and be smart. And follow up. I see things that maybe other people don’t see.

I remember during my campaign they were telling me all about this social media: ‘Oh, we can get you this and that number of followers.’ I said I have 235 clubs and associations and half of them are supporting me. There are 120 left. So why do I need the millions on social media? Just focus on the 120 left. If I get even 50 of them, I will have won.

That campaign took me 12 years. And coming from this part of the world, with this nationality, with this skin, with this name, with this religion, it was even harder for me to win.

GPR: What did you think of the job before you took it? And eventually, what was it like?

MBS: Good question. Yes. You know, let’s have a fair fight. A tough fight. A challenge. Anything. But don’t throw the dirt. That is not acceptable. When the media comes after you – especially, I’ll be honest, some of the British media... Fine, you come at me, I confront you. Where is the proof? Prove it.
They don’t come back to me. But the damage is done. I have prevailed. I don’t see it anymore.

I was elected to be fair, I was elected in a non-profit organisation and I don’t get a salary. Would you say that someone forced me? It was a will. Nobody threatened me to be here. So I have to accept and expect everything. I will never let go. And you know, I’ll tell you something – I’d rather do one term and make a real change than sit for 12 years just to enjoy the red carpet. That has never worked for me. I’ve never sought the red carpet. I’ve never wanted that.

I do my job. I do it quietly, getting where I want to take the FIA, repositioning it, being fair, being strong. We’re the owners of Formula 1. The FIA Formula 1 Championship,?we lease it, we’re the governor. We’re not a service provider.?A service provider is somebody you can bring into this building and tell them to clean the place – that’s a service provider. We’re not that.

GPR: Does Formula 1 need a strong FIA to be successful?
?
MBS: Strong. And fair. Yes. And if you’re a big company, a big business like a manufacturer or a sponsor, would you waste your money on something that’s not well governed or strongly governed? I talked to a lot of the big companies, the OEMs, and they said, “We’re only in because you take care of fairness.” And we will have a strong Federation. If it’s weak, why should anyone invest?

GPR: Do you have to agree with FOM on everything?

MBS: No. FOM has its points. But today, since I took over the presidency, we’re in a much better position together. And if you told me that I could go back and change some of the things that happened, for example, when I got hit by the media – I wouldn’t change anything.

Let me give you an example from Las Vegas... The president of the FIA is the one who signs the homologation for the new track, or for all the tracks. I supported it. I could have said no, [because it wasn’t ready in time for inspection]. But as soon as my team said it was safe... because I’m a driver, I care about the wellbeing of the drivers and the people around them, our staff and the marshals. I did it.

It was a big thing. If I had said no, it would have been disastrous [for F1]. But it would have been legal. But I’m careful because I love the sport. At the end of the day, we’re in the same boat. We may have different missions. But we’re in the same boat. We cannot let the sport sink.

GPR: The FIA, as the referee in this sport, often comes under fire for decisions it makes, and it seems that sometimes there’s no way to make everyone happy. How do you deal with that?

MBS: I never take it personally, but I’m here to support my team. There are people who volunteer their time for us. And one of the things I’m most proud of is that I’m the founder of the campaign against online abuse, which was founded largely because of the online abuse of one our female stewards. You know, thank you for these questions because this is our reality. If you took the volunteers out of any sport, not just F1, would the sport continue?

GPR: Most likely not, no.?

MBS: Thank you. Olympic Games. Motor racing. Football. Nothing. It’s true, especially for us. We have, I don’t know, about 700 volunteers for each race. These people dedicate and give their time to the sport we all love. The stewards are the same. And then, at the same time, we have to deal with threats to our stewards. We’ve had death threats, one of our colleagues, a lady from Spain, was attacked on social media. She’s had death threats, she’s been told that they’re going to come and kill her or rape her or hurt her family.
I don’t want to be in that position. But I also had to deal with it when they threatened me after Abu Dhabi 2021.?Did I panic? No. But to go on and attack our stewards, our officials... I have to protect them.

That’s why we launched this campaign, an anti-toxicity, anti-abuse campaign. And we’ve got a lot of support, from federations, from governments.?We have people who understand that this is a huge problem that affects every sport. And if we do nothing about it, the sport will be damaged beyond repair.

GPR: You mentioned that the stewards are also volunteers. There are those who think that F1 should have a set of professional referees, a different system that would ensure more consistency. What do you say to them?

MBS: They’re right. And that’s why we’ve launched the steward’s pathway, we’ve created a pathway for race directors. When we had Michael Masi – and Michael was good – we didn’t have anybody else. Charlie Whiting was great, but there wasn’t anybody else. That is not the way to run the sport.

This sport should run without the president of the FIA. It should run automatically. The FIA should run without certain individuals. That’s why I’m making sure that we have the?ROC [Remote Operations Centre], which is remote race control, something similar to what’s done in football. And we try to find people and make them grow.

We reach out to people in Latin America, we reach out to people in Africa. Sometimes we only talk about diversity when it suits us.?But there are good people there, whatever their religion or colour or whatever, and we’re trying to build a pyramid where they can go to F4, F3, F2 and then F1. But it has to be a system.

We can’t just have one race director for F1. There’s fatigue. Accidents happen. Where do I get them? Everyone is pushing me, but where do I find these people? On Google? Do they sell them on Amazon? And again, you say we’re a referee...

Do you remember the 2022 race in Japan when the race was stopped [and there was confusion about how many points should be awarded]? Everyone blamed the FIA. But... Excusez-moi, if I may put it in French. Who wrote the rules? The FIA? Or did the teams, FOM and the FIA approve them together? It’s the F1 Commission. It’s all of us together.

And then there are always complaints. ‘Oh, you should have given the five-second penalty earlier, because if you had told us, we could have told the driver to push...’ And then the next race: ‘Oh, you have to listen to the driver first’. I mean, it’s good that they have the FIA to throw things at. We’re used to it. But we have to do our job, right?

GPR: You mentioned Michael Masi. He had to go through a lot after 2021. Have you tried to support him?

MBS: Yes. By calling him, by being with him. I was new.?I inherited things. I inherited this mess, which was purely human error. And Michael is a good man. He’s not finished with motorsport.

I’m the president. I see things differently.?I don’t take anything personally. I never hate the person. I may hate the results of their actions. But I never hate the person. He’s a good person. Yes, there was a problem, but for me... If we need him and he’s willing to help us in some areas, he’s welcome in the sport.

GPR: What are the main challenges that are facing the FIA?and Formula 1 at the moment?

MBS: In F1 it’s fairness that we have to have, also when?it comes to the Concorde Agreement, the repositioning of the FIA. And I guarantee you that the sport will be even?better, the business will be better for FOM and Liberty and?for the teams, if there is a strong FIA. Because we’re not driven by money.
But we are there to ensure fairness?and to enforce regulations. And transparency. And the other big issue is that motorsport is very expensive. It has to be affordable.

The legal side is also very challenging. My biggest problem when I took over was the financial situation of the FIA. We were very much in debt, four years before I took over. So that’s a big challenge because you cannot go on tightening your belt. No, you have to generate more money. And you have to invest your money properly and spend it appropriately.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by Tourer

Also, Autosport has posted an interview with MBS behind its paywall that was originally published by GP Racing towards the end of last year - prior to accusations against MBS, accusations against the Wolffs, accusations against Horner etc. Also prior to FOM decision on Andretti, which doesn't get a mention.

Here it is:

Interesting.

The article shows my that my intuitive thoughts about him were right.

[Akrapovic]

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f...of-wrongdoing/

Ben has conducted an investigation into himself and concluded that he has done nothing wrong.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f...of-wrongdoing/

Ben has conducted an investigation into himself and concluded that he has done nothing wrong.

I said to myself, "Self" (and I knew it was me, because I recognized my voice) "I am totally innocent!"

Richard

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f...of-wrongdoing/

Ben has conducted an investigation into himself and concluded that he has done nothing wrong.

Well the Ethics Committee at the FIA cleared him but it IS a little odd how that works - a group within the organisation investigating the head of the organisation. Nowhere near as robust as hiring an independent KC for example.

Wonder if Toto will call for transparency on this investigation too?

[GTRMagic]

This looks fun…

[Greem]

I'll get the popcorn