FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has revealed that he went “through hell” and endured “attacks and abuse” from F1 over his attempt to expand the grid to eleven teams.
In February, the FIA launched its ‘Expression of Interest’ initiative to identify potential new candidates keen to enter Formula 1.
The governing body’s action was in conformity with F1’s Concorde Agreement, the all-important covenant that regulates the commercial and financial relationship between F1, its team and the FIA, and which currently allows for 12 teams to compete in the sport.
But the push back from Grand Prix racing’s franchises and from F1 itself was immediate, with most of the teams opposing the presence of an eleventh outfit on the grid as this would inevitably imply a dilution of the prize fund distributed to the current field of teams.
Despite the FIA pressing on with its stringent selection process, F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali took a seemingly inflexible stance against the addition of an eleventh team, a position that put the Italian directly at loggerheads with Ben Sulayem.
Earlier this month, the FIA announced that it had accepted the entry application of Andretti Cadillac, opening the path for the team to begin financial talks with F1.
Speaking to select members of the media in Austin last weekend, a candid and emotional Ben Sulayem opened up about the challenges he has faced this year with F1, commencing from the onset of the FIA’s expressions of interest process.
He also alluded to his personal tragedy by mentioning the loss of his son, Saif, in a car accident in Dubai in early Marchn stating that it was a period during which he “went through hell”.
“I’m asking myself, ‘What did I do to deserve all of this attack in February and March?’ They attacked me, the day I opened the expression of interest,” commented the FIA president, quoted by Speedcafe.
“Even when my son died, they attacked me, abused me, just to break me, just because I opened for the whole world to enter.
“It was unnecessary, counterproductive, not good for business.
“They can say whatever they want. At the end of the day, I was elected to take care of the sport. Nothing goes into my pocket.
“We don’t have shareholders, we don’t have a board of directors to share the money, so my mission is different than theirs. That’s very clear.”
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali with Mohammed Ben Sulayem
Ben Sulayem said that he did not understand the virulence of F1’s attacks against him.
“I don’t know, I really don’t know. Just because I opened an expression of interest,” he said.
“We have a contract for 12 (teams). To have 12 and say ‘No, you are not allowed’… I am here for motorsport, the spirit of the sport.
“They look at the money as a piece of cake and they will share it.”
While F1 appears to be looking at the sport's 'eleventh team' problem through a financial prism, Ben Sulayem believes his stance is taking into account the “sustainability” of the sport.
“I don’t want to speak that financial language, ‘Oh, let’s make more money, let’s make more money’. I want to speak about the sustainability of the sport and the business.
“There are 12 teams [allowed]. Yes, I will say it again, if there is another reliable, worthy team, I will open the expression of interest again for it. This is what will happen.”
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem with Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei.
Ben Sulayem made clear that he is “not in a war” with F1 but rather contends that there exists a widespread misconception between the two parties, particularly when he is merely following his convictions for the betterment of the sport.
‘They have to understand, I am more than happy,” he said. “I always have been with the teams.
“Last year I sat down with them, I invested a year with them, getting to know them. I’m always accessible.
“The teams are very important, the drivers are very important, but it’s about all of us, combined together, who make the show.
“We have a role to play, FOM has, the teams have, the drivers have, and then comes the funds, that’s for sure.
“But I’m learning more, and whatever the attention (on him), it was done in no other way except to damage me because I opened the expression of interest.
“But I was doing my job, I was doing my duty. These are the rules, and we have to be transparent and fair. So we did our job. Not me as a president, but the whole FIA team.”
At the end of the day, Ben Sulayem unwaveringly upholds the FIA's choice to endorse Andretti’s bid to join Formula 1.
“The FIA did all the due diligence, the rigorous process, we did everything,” he said. “We waited, we were patient, and we asked the right questions.
“Now, we will not go back on our word. We supported Andretti because it was the right thing to do. That’s very clear, and I congratulate my team for doing that.”
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