FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been under scrutiny in recent weeks. Following a peculiar comparison between swearing drivers and ‘rappers’, and the community service penalty for Max Verstappen, many experts have questioned the Arab leader’s priorities. Former team boss Günther Steiner also criticizes the ‘chaotic’ way Ben Sulayem is running the FIA.
“His tenure so far has been chaotic, and he has managed to upset just about every team and team boss,” Günther Steiner wrote in his new book Unfiltered. In a podcast, he clarified this opinion. “As a person, I find Mohammed (Ben Sulayem) a nice guy, I always have,” he explained. “He has a pleasant character, but as president, I think he sometimes interferes too much with the sport.”
‘We Only Get Complaints’
Günther Steiner, like many others, wonders why the FIA chief is so focused on details such as swearing in the cockpit. “He’s really not doing himself any favors,” continued the former team boss. “You should have people employed who deal with these kinds of issues. If you get involved in these everyday matters, you lose too much time.”
Ben Sulayem recently defended himself by stating that the FIA can never do anything right in the eyes of the fans. He emphasized that the organization has invested a lot in Formula 1 over the past few years, but it will never get the recognition it deserves. “We let the drivers have fun, race safely, and make money,” he told Autosport. “But we will never get recognition for that. We only get complaints.”
