Coulthard sounds alarm over FIA president’s rift with F1 drivers

Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has voiced his dismay at FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem's dismissive response to a letter from the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA).

Coulthard called Ben Sulayem’s attitude “condescending” and warned that it could further erode trust between the sport’s governing body and its star competitors.

The controversy began with a letter sent by the GPDA to the governing body prior to the Las Vegas Grand Prix in which the drivers expressed a series of collective grievances as well as their discontent over the FIA’s handling of key issues, particularly regarding fines and penalties associated with the drivers’ discourse and heat-of-the-moment swearing.

The letter also urged Ben Sulayem to “consider his own tone and language when talking to our member drivers, or indeed about them,” and demanded transparency about the monetary fines imposed on drivers.

In response, Ben Sulayem dismissed the drivers' concerns outright.

“None of their business,” he bluntly told Motorsport.com. “Sorry. With all respect, I am a driver. I respect the drivers. Let them go and concentrate on what they do best, which is race.”

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Coulthard, a 13-time Grand Prix winner, did not hold back in criticizing Ben Sulayem’s remarks. On the Formula for Success podcast, the Scot argued that the president’s tone was both patronizing and counterproductive.

“Now, that is exactly the sort of condescending response that p*sses people off nowadays,” he said.

“I wouldn’t claim to be a driver. I’m an ex-driver. And as far as I know, the president is an ex-driver. So the best people to know what it is to be a driver, especially a Formula 1 driver, and this letter came from the Formula 1 drivers, is the Formula 1 drivers!”

Coulthard continued by pointing out the importance of respecting the drivers’ perspectives, especially in a sport that centers on their achievements.

“That’s what worries me. To be dismissed in a way, like your opinion doesn’t matter. We revere these guys. We celebrate these guys. The Drivers’ Championship is what gets all of the publicity.

“And then, on the other hand, senior people want to go, ‘Yeah, look, just get on and drive the car!’”

Coulthard also reflected on his own experience with team bosses during his career, contrasting their professionalism with Ben Sulayem’s attitude.

“I never once was ever treated like a child, even when I clearly had peed on the carpet in as much that I had taken four wheels off the race car,” he said. “Not once did they ever go, ‘What were you thinking? What were you doing?’”

Former F1 team owner, Coulthard’s co-host on the FFS podcast, echoed the latter’s concerns, warning that the FIA president risks alienating the drivers entirely.

“When you have a group of celebrated people who are absolutely at the pinnacle of their sport, and they are not allowed to have a say and are dismissed out of question, the person who suffers here, is Mohammed,” Jordan said.

Jordan suggested that Ben Sulayem should embrace dialogue with the drivers rather than dismiss their concerns, especially with an election for the FIA presidency looming.

“He’s going up for an election soon, and I would have thought he needs to embrace the drivers,” Jordan explained.

“At least, he should open a dialogue with them or discuss and say, ‘Okay, give me three of your selected, who are the guys who are on the board, or who are the main people on the board, if it’s Lewis and if it’s Alonso and this guy, bring them to me and we’ll have a meeting.’”

Instead, Jordan lamented, the issue has been “put to one side,” resulting in a damaging standoff between the drivers and the FIA.

“You have wars throughout this world, and if we had more dialogue between the protagonists in these wars, we might not have the wars that we have,” commented the 76-year-old former team owner.

“The problem is people get staunch, hardcore values in their head and they won’t move. And that’s the problem here. There’s a standoff between the drivers and the FIA, and that needs to stop.”

The tension between the FIA and the drivers has been brewing for some time, with multiple clashes over issues like track limits enforcement, inconsistent penalties, and what drivers see as overly authoritarian policies.

Ben Sulayem’s handling of this latest dispute has drawn sharp criticism, with Coulthard and Jordan leading the call for mutual respect and dialogue. Whether the FIA president will heed their advice, however, remains to be seen.

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