Ben Sulayem thinks FIA isn’t getting enough credit: “We only get rubbish”

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem says it’s “impossible” for the federation to get the credit that he thinks it deserves for making improvements in the way global motorsport is run.

Since Ben Sulayem became president of the FIA in December 2021, the federation has introduced a remote operations centre to assist race control at the track and launched a programme to train and mentor stewards and race directors.

More recently it announced a new officials department to support the recruitment of officiating talent.

Earlier this year, the FIA also introduced a new track limits solution at the Austrian Grand Prix, which seems to have solved a long-lasting problem at the Red Bull Ring and can potentially also be used at other circuits that are used by both F1 and MotoGP.

When Autosport asked Ben Sulayem during an exclusive interview if he felt that the FIA has received enough credit for solving this particular problem, Ben Sulayem replied: “No, we will never get the credit. Impossible. We’ll only get rubbish. That I know.”

He thinks that the FIA not only deserves more credit but also deserves more on the financial side for all the investments it has made.

“When you look at it, everybody made money out of the FIA, everyone except the FIA,” he said. “Everyone gets the credit, except the FIA.

“It’s true”, he continued. “When I took over, we had a running operating cost of minus 20 million. Why? Because we have our income as everybody.

“But look at the promoters… And good on them and I congratulate them, they are smart enough to do that…

“But I’ll be very, very honest, as always. So Liberty Media did a great job in transforming Formula 1. If you tell me if I could go back in time, would I undo [that]? No way.

“I wouldn’t undo that, but I would just make sure that the FIA is two equals with them.

“They are a good promoter, they are. If you ask me today: is there anyone who is capable as much as them? I can see that [there isn’t].

“I support them in what they are doing. The FIA works with them in the best [possible] way.

“But then, the regulations and the governance is the [work of the] FIA. And then, let everyone make money.

“Let the drivers have fun, race in a safe way and make money. And let the team principals make more money, [and] they are.”

“But the FIA will never get the credit. Impossible.”