Formula 1 drivers are fed up and have lost faith in the sport’s governing body, the FIA, and its president, Mohammed bin Sulayem, after their collective criticism of the FIA in public statements fell short. Get a response. They have called for dialogue to resolve their grievances, but the FIA has yet to respond since it was published two weeks ago.
This weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix is the first meeting since the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) issued a statement, a scathing indictment of the FIA and Ben Sulayem, demanding they stop treating like Kids treat all 20 drivers on the track the same. It addressed the recent controversy over swearing, raising questions about the “tone and language” used by Ben Sulayem when speaking out against swearing, and questioning the FIA’s financial transparency on how fine funds are spent.
When asked if he had confidence in the leadership of the governing body in Las Vegas, Mercedes driver George Russell, who serves as GPDA president, was forthright about his and other drivers’ concerns about the FIA’s Disappointment at the lack of any response.
“To be honest, I’m not sure,” he said. “If we feel like our voices are being heard and some of the changes we’re asking for are implemented because we’re just doing it for the good of the sport, then maybe our confidence will grow. A lot of drivers are tired of the whole situation, And in a way, things just seem to be going in the wrong direction.
He was joined by teammate Lewis Hamilton, who insisted the FIA failed to engage properly. “It just shows that the riders are more united than ever,” he said. “This is maybe not something you’ve seen in the past. There are things that need to be resolved and the FIA needs to work better with us.
The criticism from the GPDA is the first time in seven years that drivers have felt the need to make such a statement publicly, a move they feel was almost forced upon because they felt the FIA was not listening to their views, especially since 2021 Since taking office in December, Ben Sulayem has been embroiled in controversy.
“Changing things or delivering on promises seems more challenging,” Russell said. “Maybe the FIA or the president don’t realize how serious we all feel. Over the 20 races this year and even last year we discussed many topics. All the drivers, we all feel very similar and we know we want to What’s coming out of the sport and where it’s going, we feel like we’d like to have a small shift on some topics and we’d like to work with the FIA on that and we don’t think that’s happening at all with the President.
Russell also said Bin Sulayem had failed to deliver on promises made during his campaign by failing to answer questions about how fine funds would be spent. “For us, when the FIA held its presidential election a few years ago, all we heard was about transparency,” he said. “In terms of reinvesting money into grassroots racing, we’re all for it. We just want transparency on what was promised from the start.
The FIA has yet to make any comment on the GPDA’s statement or Russell’s remarks in Las Vegas.
The championship is likely to be decided in Saturday night’s race on city streets, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen looking to claim a fourth consecutive title if he finishes ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris. Norris must be at least three points ahead of the Dutchman to advance to the next round in Qatar.
