Russell: Ben Sulayem needs to tell F1 drivers what the FIA’s goal is

George Russell has implored FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem to “categorical what his aim is” with motorsport’s governing physique, amid the continuing stress between the Emirati former rally driver and Method 1 racers. 

The 2024 F1 season completed with the Grand Prix Drivers’ Affiliation nonetheless awaiting a proper response to its request for its members to be treated as “adults” in a letter than publicly known as out Ben Sulayem and his quest to clamp down on driver swearing. 

That is a part of a wider push from throughout the governing physique to cease drivers by chance inciting abuse of officers with feedback picked up shortly by typically partisan fanbases and follows the FIA attempting to cut back the danger of drivers being burned in crashes whereas carrying jewelry – a saga that began when Ben Sulayem grew to become president as 2022 commenced. 

After the drivers’ letter was revealed on the GPDA’s Instagram account in early November, Ben Sulayem subsequently instructed media together with Autosport that it was “none of their enterprise” how he governs the FIA. 

When requested concerning the newest on the matter on the 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi, Russell stated: “I do not actually know what is going on on in his head, however as we stated final time we had this dialogue, I form of stated, like: ‘What’s subsequent? What is the subsequent factor gonna be?’

“I did not fairly anticipate it to be one thing, two weeks later, that appears fairly severe.”  

This can be a reference to the event that the FIA deliberate at hand issues of compliance on to Ben Sulayem and the president of its senate, which was subsequently voted by means of at this month’s FIA common meeting.

“I do not actually know what this complete governance change means with the compliance [situation],” Russell added – in an interview with choose media together with Motorsport.com. “I do not even know precisely what it’s, nevertheless it looks like fairly an enormous deal.  

“And I used to be fairly stunned that it was ‘two weeks later, there’s one thing else’. Is it going to be one thing else once more in two weeks’ time?’ And ‘The place are we? The place’s the endpoint?’ 

“I believe it could be nice for us all to grasp what’s the FIA’s aim and goal. And I believe that might be nice for us to grasp, if the president might categorical to us what his aim is with the FIA and perhaps we are able to see it from his perspective.  

“And perhaps then we’ll have a better understanding as nicely.”