Schumacher delivers virulent tirade against ‘tragic’ Ben Sulayem

Ralf Schumacher has never been one to hold back, and his latest comments aimed at FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem are no exception.

In a fiery critique, the former F1 driver called the penalty levied upon Max Verstappen last week in Singapore “absurd”, questioned Ben Sulayem’s leadership and urged the sport’s governing body to “think about someone new”.

Ahead of last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, the FIA announced a clampdown on drivers swearing over team radios on race weekends or in press conferences.

Ignoring the FIA’s controversial fresh stance on discourse, Verstappen – while describing his current struggles with Red Bull’s Rb 20 – resorted to using the F-word in Thursday’s media conference.

The Dutchman’s slip of the tongue wasn’t lost upon the FIA which swiftly sanctioned Verstappen with a day of yet-to-be-determined community work, a move that angered the three-time world champion as well as many of his colleagues.

Read also:

• Wolff: F1 needs ‘raw moments’, but swearing must be moderated

As Schumacher sees it, the decision to penalize Verstappen was not only over-the-top, but a sign that Ben Sulayem has lost his grip on F1’s pulse.

“He plays a rather tragic role in the whole affair,” the German told Sky Deutschland.

“He has no connection to F1 drivers at all. It is absurd to make an example of Max Verstappen with a penalty, a warning would have been more than enough.

“And if you’re planning something like that, you have to involve the drivers. Then you report to the GPDA or the drivers’ briefing to explain your point. Maybe then they can understand it.”

Schumacher added that Ben Sulayem has demonstrated that he is not the right man for the job, warning that the FIA needs to make changes if they want to maintain the respect of the drivers and teams.

“Ben Sulayem is a real problem in my eyes,” continued the 49-year-old brother of Michael Schumacher.

“First, he got into trouble because of the Susie Wolff affair and then with Liberty Media, something that almost cost him his job. He cuts a grim figure, seeking publicity, and often photobombs the winner’s podium.

“I would advise the FIA to think about someone new. This cannot continue like this.

“We know that Max feels unfairly treated. He must try to get something meaningful out of a pointless community service order. Perhaps he should propose to do something that is close to his heart.

“I cannot imagine that the FIA president will back down.”

The six-time Grand Prix winner also advised the FIA and Formula 1 to take very seriously Verstappen’s threats of walking away from the sport.

“He is completely independent, has enough money, and has already indicated several times that he will not remain active in Formula 1 forever,” Schumacher said.

“I would therefore not rule it out at all.”

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