Since taking office, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem “has been nothing like his predecessor” -- whereas Jean Todt preferred to “keep a low profile and shunned the media,” Ben Sulayem “isn’t afraid to speak his mind,” according to a Q&A with GP Racing of MOTORSPORT. In fact, Ben Sulayem “makes it pretty clear that he’s not too impressed with what he’s inherited.” Ben Sulayem’s style is “not to everyone’s taste” and it is fair to say that in the two years he has been at the helm, “he’s upset quite a few people in the F1 paddock.” Ben Sulayem said that he wants to “reposition the FIA and insists he’s there to defend the interests of the sport, not business.” He was the “main protagonist behind the push to expand the grid” -- despite clear opposition from Formula One Management (FOM) and the existing teams. GP Racing sat down with Ben Sulayem in Abu Dhabi, a few hours before the final race of last season, to talk about his racing career, his first two years in the president’s chair and his vision for the future of the FIA and F1. Questions and responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: You chose this path, a career as a motorsport politician if you like. Why did you do it? What drives you?
Ben Sulayem: I love the challenge. I’m motivated by the challenge. And if someone wants me to win, they just have to say the wrong words to me, “You can’t do it.” As soon as I hear that, I’ll do everything to win. If you ask me if I was confident that I was going to be president of the FIA, I’ll say yes. Yes, I was. It’s not ego. Work and be smart. And follow up. I see things that maybe other people don’t see. That campaign took me 12 years. And coming from this part of the world, with this nationality, with this skin, with this name, with this religion, it was even harder for me to win.
Q: What did you think of the job before you took it? And eventually, what was it like?
Ben Sulayem: I was elected to be fair, I was elected in a non-profit organisation and I don’t get a salary. Would you say that someone forced me? It was a will. Nobody threatened me to be here. So I have to accept and expect everything. I will never let go. And you know, I’ll tell you something -- I’d rather do one term and make a real change than sit for 12 years just to enjoy the red carpet. That has never worked for me. I’ve never sought the red carpet. I’ve never wanted that. I do my job. I do it quietly, getting where I want to take the FIA, repositioning it, being fair, being strong.
Q: Does F1 need a strong FIA to be successful?
Ben Sulayem: Strong. And fair. Yes. And if you’re a big company, a big business like a manufacturer or a sponsor, would you waste your money on something that’s not well governed or strongly governed? I talked to a lot of the big companies, the OEMs, and they said, “We’re only in because you take care of fairness.” And we will have a strong Federation. If it’s weak, why should anyone invest?
Q: Do you have to agree with FOM on everything?
Ben Sulayem: No. FOM has its points. But today, since I took over the presidency, we’re in a much better position together. At the end of the day, we’re in the same boat. We may have different missions. But we’re in the same boat. We cannot let the sport sink.
Q: The FIA, as the referee in this sport, often comes under fire for decisions it makes, and it seems that sometimes there’s no way to make everyone happy. How do you deal with that?
Ben Sulayem: I never take it personally, but I’m here to support my team.
Q: What are the main challenges that are facing the FIA and F1 at the moment?
Ben Sulayem: In F1 it’s fairness that we have to have, also when it comes to the Concorde Agreement, the repositioning of the FIA. And I guarantee you that the sport will be even better, the business will be better for FOM and Liberty and for the teams, if there is a strong FIA. Because we’re not driven by money. And the other big issue is that motorsport is very expensive. It has to be affordable. The legal side is also very challenging. My biggest problem when I took over was the financial situation of the FIA. We were very much in debt, four years before I took over. So that’s a big challenge because you cannot go on tightening your belt. No, you have to generate more money. And you have to invest your money properly and spend it appropriately (MOTORSPORT, 3/16).
