Could 15 (GMM) FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem says he doesn’t care about reputation as criticism of his management continues following his re-election for a second time period.
The controversial Emirati has confronted sustained backlash throughout his presidency over governance disputes, political tensions contained in the FIA and repeated clashes with System 1 stakeholders.
However chatting with Forbes, Ben Sulayem insisted the governing physique’s function is to not win public assist. “Individuals don’t perceive the FIA,” he stated.
“The FIA is a federation. Now we have 245 members in 149 nations. The FIA isn’t System 1 solely.”
Ben Sulayem pressured that System 1 represents just one a part of a a lot wider organisation overseeing world motorsport and mobility.
“System 1 is a world championship underneath the FIA,” he stated.
“Now we have karting, now we have rallying, now we have cross-country, now we have GT, now we have System E, now we have so many championships.”
Ben Sulayem argued that the FIA’s core duty is neutral governance, even when that makes the organisation unpopular with followers.
“What’s our mission? To be honest with everybody and to make one of the best for the game,” he stated.
“You already know, you received’t get – I’ll by no means get followers.”
He stated criticism inevitably follows stewarding choices.
“When our referees, that are the stewards, take a choice of a 5-second due to a mistake of a driver, that’s the penalty,” Ben Sulayem defined. “After which you will have individuals getting upset.”
However he made clear that reputation is irrelevant to the FIA.
“We’re not there to have followers, we’re there to be honest with everybody,” he stated. “We don’t want followers.
“We must be revered. We must be honest. We must be clear.”
Ben Sulayem additionally strongly defended the FIA’s central authority over System 1 amid ongoing energy tensions between the governing physique, Liberty Media and groups.
“If System 1 goes, if the FIA goes, System 1 goes with it,” he stated.
“It’s quite simple. No FIA, no System 1.”
He famous that business rights holders, groups and presidents all finally change, whereas the FIA stays everlasting.
“The promoters can change,” Ben Sulayem stated. “Groups come and go, drivers come and go. “Presidents come and go, however the FIA will all the time keep.”
“You take away me, there’s System 1. You take away the FIA, there’s no System 1. It’s so simple as this.”
