FIA could have its own reality show amid recent drama

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes that the FIA could have its own reality show based on recent events at the governing body.

Amid a number of staff changes over recent weeks, which included the dismissal of Formula 1 race director Niels Wittich before the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the FIA has been the subject of much intrigue.

There has also been a push from F1 drivers requesting they are treated more like adults, with some greater clarity asked from FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem over where fine money is spent, as they issued an open letter on behalf of the GPDA.

But Ben Sulayem is unmoved by what those outside the governing body think, as he made it clear at the Qatar Grand Prix in reference to the drivers’ request that it is “none of their business.”

Just hours later, the FIA’s handling of the Qatar Grand Prix became a major talking point, amid debate over the way race control handled a stranded mirror in the middle of the track before it was hit by a car, and then the severity of a number of penalties handed out.

Wolff, who saw both his drivers given sanctions for separate offences in the race, says that the situation surrounding the FIA is far from ideal.

“Generally, if you look at it in a positive way, it could have its own reality show with what’s happening at the moment,” he said. “I think all of our stakeholders need to bear in mind that we need to protect this holy grail of a sport, that it is, and do it with responsibility and accountability and transparency. And it doesn’t come across like that.

“So I can’t look into the organisation. I understand what we [the teams] are doing in trying to keep that together. But it’s good that the drivers are united in this bigger picture, like they’ve shown.

“Teams very much have an understanding of what we believe is right or wrong. And so everybody just needs to look in the mirror and say: ‘am I contributing the best to this sport, or not?'”

In the wake of Ben Sulayem’s ‘none of their business’ remarks, Wolff concurred that indeed how the FIA president handled matters within his organisation was up to him.

However, he felt that there was a duty of the regulator to ensure it acted in the best interests of motorsport in general.

“I think he [Ben Sulayem] can…