F1 Calls For FIA President To Be Sacked After Countless Controversies Plague The Sport
It has been reported that F1 owners Liberty Media want to see Mohammed Ben Sulayem replaced as president of the FIA.
The battle between the American company and Sulayem has reached new heights as they call for the FIA president to step down, according to Sport1. This comes after Sulayem took to Twitter to comment on the reported offer for the sport. He wrote:
"As the custodians of motorsport, the FIA, as a non-profit organisation, is cautious about alleged inflated price tags of $20bn being put on F1.
"Any potential buyer is advised to apply common sense, consider the greater good of the sport and come with a clear, sustainable plan – not just a lot of money.
"It is our duty to consider what the future impact will be for promoters in terms of increased hosting fees and other commercial costs, and any adverse impact that it could have on fans."
Liberty Media's legal representatives wrote to the FIA stating that these comments "overstepped the bounds of the FIA's remit" and risked "causing substantial damage to the shareholders and investors of that entity". The back and forth is ongoing between the two entities.
This isn't the first time that Sulayem has found himself wrapped up in controversy since he replaced Jean Todt at the end of 2021. The FIA released a statement last week as damage control for previous sexist comments that emerged from Sulayem in 2001. According to The Times, Sulayem wrote on his archived website that he does "not like women who think they are smarter than men."
The statement from the FIA read:
"The remarks in this archived website from 2001 do not reflect the president's beliefs.
“He has a strong record on promoting women and equality in sport, which he is happy to be judged on. It was a central part of his manifesto and actions taken this year and the many years he served as vice-president for sport prove this.”
According to Sport1's report, in order for Liberty Media to be successful in their efforts for Sulayem to step down they will need to prove "real misconduct". The report continues to add that former Benetton team principal and chairman of Motorsport UK David Richards has been put forward as possible successor.