Jon Noble: Why FIA crisis talks only served to fire up combative Ben Sulayem even more

After a raft of staff exits grabbed headlines, a high-profile row over a swearing clampdown and a public demand from Formula 1 drivers to be treated like adults, you may have thought FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem might want to adopt a conciliatory approach to calm the waters around him.

But it took just a few short minutes of a sit-down interview with him in Qatar last weekend, as he fired off his thoughts, to realise that the complete opposite is the case.

Here was a man with absolute confidence in himself; convinced the way he is running his organisation is right and he is ready to go head on against his critics. During a quite eye-opening near one hour of chatter (some of which has already been published), there was no shying away from questions on hard topics, nor a desire to bat off anything with the easy get out route of a ‘no comment’. Instead, he was feisty, combative and enjoying the toing and froing of an interview at a time when the spotlight is on him like never before.

Ben Sulayem very much appears to be doubling down on how he is running things, rather than worried at all about the criticism he and the FIA are facing.

When suggested to him for example that, through the many times we have talked that he seems more assured and confident in himself and what he is doing than ever before, he instantly replies with a smile: “Are you upset with that?”

Behind that comment is the fact that Ben Sulayem has made no secret of the fact that he thinks the British media is out to get him.

Ben Sulayem appears to be doubling down on his way of running the FIA

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

“I've never been attacked as much by any media as much as the British,” he says. “And I even don't know their names. If they come in front of me, I wouldn't even recognise them. Did they ever come and sit with me, or call me or ask me? I don't know them. I honestly don't know them. If they pass, whoever is doing this, I don't know them. I don't want to know them.

“You know, I have other responsibilities. But if they want to come to me, I'm very accessible. But when they go and say and write about the bad things, my God, the accusation, the fabrication, and then they run away. When the truth came, they ran away.”

Ben Sulayem is convinced that behind the extra scrutiny and criticism he faces over what he is doing is a wider motivation prompted by his background.

"We'll do whatever is good for the FIA. So it's really none of people's business to interfere in ours" Mohammed Ben Sulayem

“Do you know what is controversial they think about me? My name, Mohammed. I know that. I know that,” he says. “I'm proud of my name. I still sign in Arabic. I still wear this [pointing to his Keffiyeh]. Do you think I care? Honestly, I made the point, I said, every time someone asks you, do you have to justify it? Do they justify what they do? They said, no. I said, then enough. Just ignore the things. Just go on and do what you are paid for.

“I mean, this question I ask you… Do you think it's fair? You have been with me now for how long? You have been sitting with me. I've been very straight.

“I don't take even the money which is paid to me. Paid. All of the money which was paid previously to the past president, I give it back and to grassroots and to the FIA because we need that.”

It is clear that Ben Sulayem feels his duty of care is to the FIA rather than to what the F1 paddock, the drivers and especially the media think.

Ben Sulayem believes his ethnicity and background are to blame for the extra scrutiny he faces

Photo by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Images

His “none of their business” remarks about the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association letter asking for better treatment and clarity over where money from fines go shows that he does not want to bow to external pressures. Equally, he would not reply to requests for background about the raft of sackings there have been at the FIA recently and dominated headlines – which included the departure of F1 race director Niels Wittich.

“I don't control your media,” he said. “If there is, when there is, this is our business. We'll do whatever is good for the FIA. So it's really none of people's business to interfere in ours.”

And the second he is questioned about why Wittich was dropped three races from the end of the season where a championship was still up for grabs, with memories of Abu Dhabi 2021 unlikely ever to fade, his answer is interesting.

“Will we ever have any interview without going from a British media about Abu Dhabi?” he said. “For God's sake, people, new, young, born people, wars have been going on.

“The single-seater department is very independent, and they have been, it falls underneath them. Now we did a good department. You know what? I am very optimistic about the FIA. I am so happy with our position now. I can only see good things.”

Ben Sulayem’s repeated reference about doing what is right for the FIA comes ahead of an almost inevitability that he will stand for re-election in December next year. For now he is not confirming it, as he plays the game of saying he will do only what the members what him to.

“I only focus on doing a good four years. I don't want 100 years sitting here and doing nothing,” he said. “If the members want me, they are the ones who decide. Not the press. Not the teams. Not anyone. It is the members.

“You know why? Because I am a member. I am a member. I was a member. I'm still a member. I think like a member. It's not about the election. You know, you divert. Kindly, please, can we stick to what? It's next year, for God's sake. I don't even know what's going on. I only would do what's best for the FIA. I'm very clear about that.” 

The departure of race director Wittich ahead of the final three F1 rounds raised eyebrows in the paddock and beyond

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Asked if the members were telling him they wanted him to stay, Ben Sulayem said: “Also, sorry to say, this is between me and the members. Why should I tell you everything? Really, I don't see that I have to tell you everything.” 

Amid the external talk of crisis, Ben Sulayem is committed to his current path – and feels confident that what he is doing and how he is doing it is correct.

Going back to that original question about being happy in himself, he smiles as he starts waving his phone around: “Yes, yes, yes,  yes. Everybody calls me. My members call me, and you have my mobile number, so don't worry. So I don't give a number just to quieten people down.

"The worst difference we have is that I've never seen any leakage like the FIA. My God, it's worse than a roof. And I don't know where we're leaking; it's just leaks after leaks" Mohammed Ben Sulayem

“No, I am happy, because the members are happy, and they are proud, and they see the financial is better. They see that we care about them.”

It is inside the FIA that Ben Sulayem is obviously obsessed by, and he sees a structure that needs big change – and one where he is not afraid to do more of what is doing rather than less of it.

“I don't like silos,” he explained. “If you went in the FIA before, it was like going into a room with 1000 or 2000 PO boxes, right? And one neighbour doesn’t know what was in the other one - that was the FIA before. Now it's changed. Communication is better.

“But the worst difference we have is that I've never seen any leakage like the FIA. My God, it's worse than a roof. And I don't know where we're leaking; it's just leaks after leaks. So I will do more if it needs to bring the FIA, I will do more.

Ben Sulayem's focus is with those who elect him, not the teams or drivers

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

“You said changing: did anyone complain from the FIA? It was only the people who were not seen by their own bosses’ departments that they are good.

“Did you get any complaint except from these people? Please, of course, because now they are not there, they will complain. If they are there, they won't. Why didn't they complain before? So you really think I would waste the money [on them]?

“This is not commercial. This is the money of the members, and I have been elected to safeguard that, so I will always be up to that.”

The message is clear: Ben Sulayem is not for turning.

The gentleman is not for turning

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images