FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem claims he has been “through hell” this year following his decision to try and expand the F1 grid.
On February 2, motorsport’s world governing body called for expressions of interest from prospective bidders in the hope of finding an 11th team to join the sport.
The Concorde Agreement, the covenant that binds the FIA, Formula One Management (FOM), and the teams, makes provision for up to 12 teams to compete in F1.
Upon instigating the application process, Ben Sulayem and the FIA believed it to be for “the overall long-term interests of the championship”.
The initial pushback against the FIA and Ben Sulayem was vigorous, since when there has been a steady stream of oppositional rhetoric from within the sport against the addition of a new team.
A number of team principals, without an official say in the process but within their rights to air their views, have made clear their opposition throughout, questioning the value of an 11th team and opining over the potential loss of revenue as it would likely result in a smaller slice of the financial pie.
F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali additionally voiced his resistance before further making clear in mid-July he ‘would not be changing his mind’, also insisting any decision would not be money-driven but that it had to be “right for the business”.
On October 2, following a stringent undertaking, the FIA approved the Andretti/General Motors bid, progressing it to the next phase where it is now being financially assessed by FOM.
Speaking to Speedcafe in a select media briefing during the United States Grand Prix weekend, Ben Sulayem delivered an impassioned view of his past eight months in office since the expressions of interest process was announced.
Without pointing a finger at a specific individual or organisation, and making reference in his initial remarks to the death of his son, Saif, in a car crash in Dubai in early March, he said: “I 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.
“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.”
Asked as to why he felt the attacks against him were made, he replied: “I don’t know, I really don’t know. Just because I opened an expression of interest.
“We have a contract (the Concorde Agreement) 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.”
As to whether the ‘they’ are greedy, he said: “You said it.
“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.”
Recognising the sport is at least “money-driven”, Ben Sulayem was pressed on whether he felt the teams were greedy, with the definition of the word put to him, in this instance, that ‘they make money at the expense of what might be right for the sport’.
“Okay, if they do that, then they are greedy,” said Ben Sulayem. “I agree with you on that. If that’s the way to get money, that’s absolutely greedy.
“Yet there are so many good ways of making money.”
Ben Sulayem is adamant he is “not in a war”, but instead believes there is a general misunderstanding, especially when he is simply doing what he feels is right for the sport.
‘They have to understand, I am more than happy,” said Ben Sulayem. “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.”
The bottom line is that Ben Sulayem defiantly stands by the FIA’s decision to support the Andretti/GM bid.
“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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