FIA claims it would be ‘harsh to punish’ Red Bull for dominating F1

Mohammed Ben Sulayem dismissed any chances of rule changes to stop Max Verstappen and Red Bull's dominance.

FIA claims it would be ‘harsh to punish’ Red Bull for dominating F1

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Christian Horner (Via IMAGO)

Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing have dominated Formula 1 with the start of the ground-effect era in 2022. The Milton Keynes-based team solidified its dominance this year and has won only one race this season. There have been calls for rule changes to hamper Red Bull’s advantage. However, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has clarified that it would not be the right call.

Ben Sulayem was asked if he was worried about Red Bull’s dominance in F1. The sport has seen a decline in growth on social media with Max Verstappen’s incredible results this season. The FIA President pointed out that such stints have happened in the sport before as well, such as Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton’s runs. He replied to Motorsport.com, “It [domination] has happened so many times: just look at Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.”

YouTube video

The 61-year-old believed that punishing Red Bull for succeeding at the pinnacle of motorsport would be wrong. Although, Ben Sulayem was open to ideas that could allow for democratic and fair means to level the playing field. The FIA President said, “How to stop? It’s a bit harsh and not right to go and punish success. I mean, I’m open for suggestions if you think that there is a way to be fair and to be democratic, and not to just punish Max and his team or any other team.”

FS Video

Also Read: Two-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou claims Max Verstappen is at a ‘higher level’ than the rest of the F1 grid

Max Verstappen looks set to continue F1 domination

The Dutch driver annihilated his rivals in 2023. Max Verstappen has virtually faced no competition for most of the season, with teammate Sergio Perez falling far behind the three-time world champion. Verstappen has taken a staggering 15 race victories so far this season, including the longest winning streak in the history of Formula 1.

Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)

Max Verstappen has enjoyed driving the Red Bull-19 with a massive pace advantage compared to rivals. Subsequently, the Dutch driver is the favorite to win all the remaining rounds of the 2023 season. Moreover, the Austrian team is expected to carry over its lead into next season as rivals continue to play catch-up with Milton Keynes.

Certainly, Max Verstappen is in the prime of his career right now. The three-time world champion has performed at an extraordinary level in the last couple of seasons. With Red Bull continuing its efforts to develop its car, it seems that Verstappen will remain the driver to defeat at the pinnacle of motorsport for the foreseeable future.

In case you missed it: