First of all, I don’t know if the current FIA President is incompetent, my judgment is purely speculative. The incompetence referred to in the opening headlines relates to allegations of race fixing. Rumours suggest that Mohammed Ben Sulayem is currently under investigation for purportedly tampering with an F1 race outcome. According to Andrew Benson, Chief F1 reporter for BBC Sport, an FIA whistleblower disclosed that Ben Sulayem allegedly intervened to overturn a penalty imposed on Fernando Alonso during the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Alonso incurred a 10-second penalty due to a number of technical pitstop infringements during the race. This penalty jeopardized his podium finish, relegating the Aston Martin driver from third to fourth place. However, the penalty was subsequently revoked, allowing Alonso to reclaim his podium position.
The FIA’s ethics committee is presently investigating the matter. Having attended and reported from two F1 Grand Prix events, I can attest to how meticulously the FIA adheres to its own rules, following them by the book, line by line, and paragraph by paragraph.
The FIA operates a Grand Prix weekend with precision, adhering strictly to procedures. Indeed, it is more reminiscent of a regime than a corporate entity. Therefore, for Ben Sulayem to allegedly disregard the FIA’s strict rules and procedures is akin to tying the hands of an individual suffering from extreme OCD.
Ben Sulayem’s tenure as FIA President has been tarnished by instances of incompetence. A recent case involved his initiation of an inquiry into Toto and Suzie Wolff for alleged compliance infringement, based on a discredited media report.
The inquiry ended abruptly when all F1 teams united, urging the dismissal of the allegations. Now, Ben Sulayem himself is under investigation. As with any allegation, we must await the emergence of evidence before passing judgment.
However, Ben Sulayem appears adept at creating smoke, only to clumsily walk into the fire while vehemently protesting against the accusations levelled against him.
