Ben Sulayem, 2 years at the top of the FIA
On December 17th 2021 Jean Todt's successor at the head of the International Federation was made official, with Mohammed Ben Sulayem who managed to defeat his rival Graham Stoker.
The president of the United Arab Emirates found a burning dossier in his hands: five days earlier, on 12 December, the Formula 1 world championship ended in Abu Dhabi, with the unforgettable battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Also unforgettable for the much discussed conclusion of the race and for the decisions made by Michael Masi.
Ben Sulayem and Abu Dhabi 2021
In a long interview given to the Germans of Motorsport Magazine, Ben Sulayem recounted those very hectic days: “My election was overshadowed by what happened in Abu Dhabi. A week after the race I had been elected president and they were already asking me what I would do.
I said to myself, 'Wait a minute, let me understand what's happening.' I had just won the election and wanted to enjoy the moment, as my journey to the presidency took more than 12 years! Afterwards we looked around. I'll be honest: I hate being reactive. I always say that failure to plan is just a plan to fail. You have to have a plan for everything, but I've been bombarded with problems. I was wondering what the hell was going on.”.
Ben Sulayem then wanted to analyze what has been done in these two years: “By strengthening the FIA's single-seater area, we have a better structure, which will result in fewer problems. But riders always demand something, I was one too and I experienced this situation when I was young. We are certainly in a better position today than last year“. And he concluded: “The FIA's goal is to ensure fairness for all. We have to do things right. We are here for sport, not to raise stock prices. If we are fair and correct judges, great builders will come naturally. Supporting motorsport is something different from taking care of revenue.”.
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