Interview: FIA boss on his conflict with F1's commercial boom

The adjective commonly utilized to characterise Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s archetypal word arsenic president of motorsport’s planetary governing assemblage to day is ‘controversial’.

How could it neglect to be, fixed that helium took bureau successful December 2021, amid the tumultuous fallout from the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the race-control decisions that changed the destiny of the Formula 1 World Championship?

That was a lawsuit of tidying up a messiness not of his making. The existent conflict astatine the bosom of the F1 flashpoints successful Ben Sulayem’s word since is what tin astir generously beryllium called ‘tension’ betwixt the FIA arsenic F1’s regulator and Liberty Media arsenic F1’s commercialized rights holder.

The 2 sides indispensable collaborate for the champion interests of the series, but adjacent erstwhile they’re moving intimately together, there’s ever an undercurrent of discord that has the imaginable to flare into all-out warfare if fixed the close ignition point. It’s good abbreviated of that today, though, with ‘frenemies’ possibly the champion mode to characterise the relationship. 

As 1 of the cardinal players astatine the bosom of this, Ben Sulayem has a quality champion encapsulated by his determination to combat for what helium sees is close for the FIA. Interviewing the 61-year-old Emirati successful the FIA’s caller motorhome implicit the Belgian Grand Prix play makes that precise clear.

“No, never,” says Ben Sulayem erstwhile it’s enactment to him that helium seems unafraid of a conflict with Liberty, headed by erstwhile Ferrari squad main Stefano Domenicali.

“I cognize wherever the FIA stands. Whom bash I represent? The landlords, the owners of the championship.

“Yes, we leased it to Liberty Media and they’re doing a large job. I person a bully narration with them. But we person to recognize wherever we stand. This clarity is important.

“When you look astatine the rules, the [new-for-2026] powerfulness units oregon the look of involvement [for prospective caller teams], the FIA has to person the archetypal say.”

Ben Sulayem is simply a compelling speaker, 1 with a forceful code that could beryllium interpreted arsenic confrontational to British ears. That’s misleading, but it does seizure his defiance connected the issues helium believes matter.

He returns to the taxable of owed process regularly. When it comes to F1, that’s the strongest paper successful his hand, fixed that the FIA makes and polices the rules. Outside of that, the crushed tin beryllium shakier.

For example, Ben Sulayem was admonished for speaking publically astir what helium described arsenic an “exaggerated” $20 cardinal valuation for F1 successful a missive that accused him of interfering successful commercialized matters.

That enactment him connected the backmost foot. But the rule that the regulator shouldn’t interfere successful commercialized matters goes some ways, and he’s present leaning heavy connected the rule that Liberty should truthful steer wide of getting progressive successful the shaping of the rules.

The biggest contention surrounds mooted caller teams bidding to articulation the F1 grid. Since Ben Sulayem has been president, Audi has confirmed its high-profile introduction to the sport, but by buying the Sauber squad (which presently competes arsenic Alfa Romeo), yet helium wants to really grow the grid.

In February, the FIA launched an exertion process that F1 and the existing teams didn’t support. They importune that lone a squad that would adhd ‘“significant value” to F1 should beryllium admitted, adjacent with the $200 cardinal anti-dilution interest that indispensable present beryllium paid into the shared pot.

But Ben Sulayem argues that arsenic the Concorde Agreement that binds F1 commercially permits 12 teams, newcomers can’t beryllium wholly unopen out. 

He has been vocally supportive of the Andretti operation, tally by Michael Andretti – lad of 1970s F1 fable Mario – that’s bidding to articulation successful concern with General Motors.

“Our rules accidental if determination are superior [prospective] teams, we person to unfastened [the process],” says Ben Sulayem. “There are rules; we can’t conscionable accidental no. Meanwhile, there’s a declaration for 12 teams, truthful we person to travel the process.

“Honestly, I’m not present to upset Liberty Media, but if radical deliberation that’s upsetting them, I tin prime up connected radical saying things astir the FIA that besides upsets us.

“Imagine america saying nary to imaginable teams? We’re present to prolong motorsport. We don’t look astatine marketplace share; we’re a non-profit. I don’t privation immoderate large squad to instrumentality america to tribunal and accidental we’ve been blocking them for the incorrect reasons.

“Yes, we unfastened the expressions of interest, we bash the owed diligence, we look astatine the fiscal side, method broadside and we besides look astatine wherever we spot ourselves successful years to come. If we get a [team from the] United States, that would beryllium good. I can’t unit anyone to accidental ‘no, you aren’t allowed unless you bargain a team’.”

The timeline for a determination connected this is drifting backwards. It’s a fascinating situation, due to the fact that some the FIA and F1 would person to motion disconnected connected a caller team. Ben Sulayem’s existent prime is to either judge the exertion of 1 oregon much aspirants, thereby putting the shot successful F1’s court, oregon backmost down.

This is symptomatic of the hostility betwixt the 2 sides, but it’s conscionable 1 manifestation of it.

The FIA oversaw the instauration of the 2026 powerfulness portion rules, with a power to a 50:50 divided of ICE and electrical power. Now immoderate teams, notably Red Bull, are lobbying for an accommodation to the weighting successful favour of the V6. Ben Sulayem would beryllium unfastened to this – but lone if pursued done the close process.

Likewise, there’s the looming contention of the cost-cap results for 2022, with rumours circulating that 1 oregon much teams overspent. Domenicali precocious publically called for sporting sanctions successful specified an eventuality, but that is of course the regulator’s domain.

And past there’s the contented of the adjacent Concorde Agreement, which is already successful the dialog phase. Ben Sulayem stresses the request for a beardown regulator and the information that Domenicali and F1 spot the worth of that.

There’s an evident tendency for greater fiscal resources for which the FIA is pushing successful bid to supply the improved work that F1 wants. Suffice to say, other backing is thing that F1 is neither keen connected nor believes determination is scope for.

“We request respect, designation for the FIA and fairness,” says Ben Sulayem. “We’re getting there. I had bully meetings with Stefano regarding it and he’s aligned with the needs of the FIA.

“We person to beryllium transparent. If we inquire for amended deals erstwhile it comes to money, we person to amusement wherever volition it spell – an betterment of the stewarding, an betterment of the contention manager pathway programme, an betterment of the ROC [remote operations centre – efficaciously F1’s equivalent of football’s VAR] and improving our equipment.

“The [next] Concorde Agreement is 2 and a fractional years away, but determination are 3 stakeholders: FIA, FOM [Formula 1 Management, which Liberty owns] and the teams. It has to beryllium just for each of us. We’re not present to make obstacles. We’re present to spell guardant together, but we can’t spell guardant if it’s unfair.”

From witnessing Ben Sulayem’s actions since helium became president and present speaking to him, it’s wide that he’s precise antithetic from those who came before.

Jean-Marie Balestre, scourge of Ayrton Senna, mislaid a warfare with the burgeoning commercialized broadside of F1 earlier a play erstwhile Max Mosley formed a revolving bully cop, atrocious bull concern with aged person and FOM dictator Bernie Ecclestone and past the low-profile Jean Todt era.

Ben Sulayem’s determination to combat for the FIA’s origin is admirable and successful keeping with his predetermination manifesto of “FIA for members” – and his occurrence oregon different could play a cardinal portion if helium stands for re-election successful conscionable implicit 2 years.

By Edd Straw