FIA Chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem retires from day-to-day handling of the matters concerning Formula 1 amidst heavy criticism
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A thousand controversies and criticisms later, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has decided to retire to a more limited role within the organization. This is being seen as an unprecedented step from the most powerful man in the world of international motorsports as he has decided to relinquish the authority that he previously exercised to the Director of Single-Seater Racing, Nikolas Tombazis. The 61-year-old will no longer take part in the day-to-day handling of the affairs concerning F1, but he will still hold the post of being at the Head of the FIA.
In a letter which was sent out to the Team Principals from Ben Sulayem’s side on Monday afternoon, it was stated that the Emirati would be stepping away from the duties he previously carried out. Tombazis will have more of a hands-on control over all things Formula One from now on. This shift of power amidst the executives of the FIA is happening amidst the raging controversy surrounding Mohammed Ben Sulayem which occurred because the owners of the rights to Formula 1 had issued a legal notice to him specifying he could not discuss the commercial aspects of the franchise as the leader of the FIA.
Ever since Mohammed Ben Sulayem had ascended the post of the FIA President as a successor to Jean Todt, he has been at the core of several controversies all through his tenure. Sometimes, it has been because of his comments on bringing back the banished F1 Race Director Michael Masi, and at other times, it has been because of his comments on the business value of Formula 1 that has been set at a few billion dollars by the owners, Liberty Media.
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Mohammed Ben Sulayem will retain his position as the FIA President, but will serve a distant role
Mohammed Ben Sulayem has come under a lot of fire because of his actions and his comments ever since he stepped into the FIA office as the President. His involvement in the negotiations with Red Bull regarding the price they had to pay for overspending and not following the 2021 cost cap has been criticised by many. And now, he has decided to change his public image by stepping down from his dealings regarding F1 and letting Nikolas Tombazis handle the same.
As of now, the former Rally driver, Ben Sulayem, will be in charge of operating the F1 from a distance. He is going to have a detached role within the system, and this might even mean he will not appear at the Grands Prix in the new season as frequently as he had been seen in 2022. Some of the rumors have also claimed that Ben Sulayem’s position in the FIA office is also being threatened since the President’s post is an elected one. Now, it remains to be seen what the future has in store for Ben Sulayem amidst his recent row with the F1 owners.
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Riddhi Mondal
(1821 Articles Published)