Guenther Steiner questions Ben Sulayem’s leadership, highlighting management missteps and contrasting him sharply with Jean Todt’s era.
Within a few days, Mohammed Ben Sulayem sparked backlash from the GPDA (over the ‘F-word’ controversy that was banned) and dismissed both FIA Race Director Niels Wittich and Paolo Basarri, the FIA’s compliance officer.
Reportedly, Ben Sulayem did not seek approval from the FIA Senate for the latter dismissal, which would breach the Federation’s statutes.
The list of Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s missteps is as long as Michael Schumacher’s record of achievements – as we previously outlined in detail (see our article).
Guenther Steiner, former Haas F1 Team Principal, has voiced what many drivers and team leaders might be thinking quietly.
For Steiner, Mohammed Ben Sulayem is the antithesis of Jean Todt – and that is certainly no compliment.
“I had a good relationship with Jean and a lot of respect for him, for what he achieved in his life.”
“He won many championships and was then a good FIA president – which isn’t an easy role to handle.”
Regarding Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Steiner clarified that his criticisms were directed at the FIA President, not the individual.
“I’ve known Mohammed for a long time. He comes from rallying, as do I. I’ve spent a lot of time with him.”
“As a person, I’ve always liked Mohammed. He’s a good character.”
“As president? Sometimes, he gets too involved in the sport.”
“That doesn’t work in his favor.”
“You need people to run the organization because being the president of a federation like the FIA is a massive job. If you get involved in daily management, I don’t think there’s enough time to do it at the required level.”
“He should have good people around him. He gets involved, and sometimes he’s criticized for it.”
Steiner believes Mohammed Ben Sulayem should be surrounded by competent individuals… yet he seems to fire them almost daily!
For instance, the FIA President reportedly dismissed his compliance officer because, according to the BBC, the officer refused to approve certain directives. This, Steiner suggests, reflects a challenging personality.
“In this position, you have to get used to criticism. It can’t always be praise.”
“If you receive compliments, you’ll also receive criticism. When you’re a public figure, that’s part of the game.”
“You can’t be everyone’s friend. That’s just not going to happen.”
It wasn’t Steiner who banned the F-word…
On the infamous ban on swear words, which sparked the GPDA’s backlash, what does Guenther Steiner—known for punctuating his sentences with expletives—think? Could this, too, be another petty display of authority from Mohammed Ben Sulayem?
“Why bring this up now? We’re discussing something that isn’t worth discussing.”
“Max made a comment about his car. Is it good? No. Is it bad? No.”
“The more we talk about it, the more controversy it creates.”
“If you don’t want it to happen? At a drivers’ meeting, just say, ‘Guys, help me out here. Can we try to limit the swearing, please?’”
Steiner sides with the drivers, who struggle to control their emotions.
“It’s tough for a driver going 360 km/h when someone cuts them off. You say, ‘f* idiot,’ but you don’t mean it.”
“Television censors it anyway!”
“We are emotional people.”
“That’s what defines a sport. We need emotions in sport. Otherwise, why would it be interesting?”
“This has been blown out of proportion. Someone used the F-word? Fine, don’t do it again, and move on…”
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FIA Turmoil: Is Ben Sulayem Losing the Grip? FIA Turmoil: Is Ben Sulayem Losing the Grip?
