FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been condemned for his disrespectful behaviour. Due to this all 20 Formula One drivers have requested that the sport’s governing body stop treating them as children. The Formula One drivers on Thursday blasted the “tone and language” used by the FIA president. They have submitted an open letter to the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) regarding these matters.
Tensions between drivers and the FIA have been brewing for more than a year. Several drivers, including three-time world champion Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Monaco’s Charles Leclerc, were recently sanctioned by the FIA for cursing during a news conference. Ben Sulayem has also come out in support of steps to guarantee that drivers no longer use vulgar language. On Thursday, the GPDA responded with a letter shared on social media about ‘Driver Misconduct’.
But the recent financial penalties imposed on two drivers for cursing have prompted the first GPDA joint statement. This has been done for the first time in seven years. Verstappen received a community service punishment after referring to his Red Bull vehicle as “f****d” during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend. Verstappen declined to speak at FIA news briefings for the remainder of the weekend.
Ben Sulayem creating rifts between FIA and F1
Charles Leclerc was fined 10,000 euros for a slip of the tongue in Mexico City. Is Ben Sulayem’s Leadership Driving a Wedge Between FIA and F1 Stars? Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, has fought with FIA officials about wearing jewellery during races, while the governing body routinely reminds drivers to wear flame-resistant underwear. The GPDA also expressed its disagreement with financial punishments against drivers.
Urging Ben Sulayem to clarify how they are enforced and how the funds are used. Ben Sulayem’s relationship with team executives and drivers has gotten worse in recent months. The FIA president was accused at the beginning of the year of attempting to derail the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix and affect the outcome of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix the same year. In both situations, the FIA Ethics Committee was cleared by the Emirati.
