FIA’s Mohammed Ben Sulayem claims he was ‘attacked and abused’ for opening the door to an 11th team’s F1 entry
FIA President Ben Sulayem says he went through hell to create an opportunity for a new F1 team.
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Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Michael Andretti (via IMAGO)
The start of 2023 was marked by controversy over a post by Mohammed Ben Sulayem on X, confirming he was open to additional teams joining the F1 grid. Sulayem further said that the FIA looked forward to further discussions for the entry of Andretti-Cadillac. He was surprised by the adverse reaction it invoked, saying interest from teams adds diversity and broadens F1’s appeal.
This was criticized heavily by F1 and the teams, who said more teams would “dilute” the sport. They stood by this opinion, though the FIA did allow Andretti’s entry onto the grid for 2025 at the earliest. But they are still waiting for Liberty Media to approve the team commercially. 61-year-old Ben Sulayem told the media in Austin that he was “abused” and “attacked,” though it is unclear who by.
I went through hell. 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.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem as reported by crash.net
Sulayem said he had been attacked the very day he showed some interest in another team, and this rebuke continued even after the tragic death of his son. He asserted his position as elected caretaker of the sport, claiming that he sought no monetary benefit from his decision, as the FIA does not have a board of directors to share the money.
Andretti will not be left without an engine deal if it gains an #F1 entry, despite current uncertainty about its plans says the FIA ✍️
— Autosport (@autosport) October 16, 2023
The US squad would need a customer deal in place for any initial foray in F1.
Should Andretti ink a deal with Alpine or Honda for 2025? ? pic.twitter.com/eQCsCKPTbu
He accused the teams of looking at the prize money as a “piece of cake and they will share it.” Ben Sulayem scorned their opposition to his decision even though the Concorde Agreement, a contract that all the teams signed, allows 12 teams on the F1 grid.
Andretti F1 bid under pressure from disapproving current teams
The FIA views the Andretti-Cadillac partnership as positively affecting Formula 1 in the future, while the teams think an 11th team will have no solid benefit. The teams also fear that sharing the prize pool could result in financial instability for the sport, still recovering from the losses COVID-19 brought.
FOM, the Formula 1 group, is on the fence on the matter, willing to provide entry for Andretti, but only provided they prove commercial merit and their advantageousness to F1. Williams Team Principal James Vowles expressed his concerns about losing prize money, saying:
My responsibility is to 900 employees within my company..compare it from ’21 to ’22, you’ll see that losses are in the tens of millions more. Compare it to ’23, which you won’t see but I’ll guarantee you, it’s multiples above that.
James Vowles said, as reported by motorsport.com
Should Andretti arrive, the futures of teams with smaller budgets, like Haas and Williams, could be in danger. The Concorde Agreement, ending in 2025, accommodated for these projected losses in income if a new team joins, with a $200 million dilution fee intended to cover these losses, which Andretti will have to pay.
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Justin P Joy
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