F1 News: FIA President Slams Potential Buyer -"Apply Common Sense"
FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, has posted to Twitter about the reports of the $20 billion offer for F1 which is rumoured to be increased. He has called out for "any potential buyer" to "consider the greater good of the sport" rather than just coming in with a lot of money.
Sulayem wrote in the post:
"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.
The FIA president continued:
"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."
This comes after the report from Bloomberg last week which claimed that the $20 billion offer was put forward by the Saudi Arabia Sovereign Wealth Fund which was rejected.
There has been a growing concern among human rights activists and critics regarding the involvement of Saudi Arabia in sports events such as Formula One. The country has been widely criticised for its poor human rights record, which includes issues such as the suppression of free speech and the mistreatment of women.
In light of this, there have been calls for the exclusion of Saudi Arabia from the world of sports and for sports organisations to take a stance against the country's human rights abuses.
Critics argue that Saudi Arabia's recent large investments in sports competitions and teams, such as Formula One, are an attempt to "sportswash" or use sports as a way to mask and distract from the country's human rights abuses.