Mohammed Ben Sulayem hits out at lack of credit: ‘Everybody makes money out of the FIA’

The FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has claimed the sporting organisation does not receive enough credit for improving F1 and that everyone makes money out of the FIA except them.

The FIA is the body that oversees not just F1 but a wide variety of motorsport series and Ben Sulayem feels they do not get enough credit for the work they do.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem hits out at lack of credit for FIA

Ben Sulayem succeeded Jean Todt as president in 2021 and although the presidency does not come with a salary, the FIA itself generates money through aspects such as teams’ entry fees and super licence fees.

But that is nothing compared to the money promoters have been able to make due to the rise in F1’s popularity, an aspect not missed by Ben Sulayem.

“We will never get the credit. Impossible,” he told Motorsport.com . “We’ll only get rubbish. That I know.

“When you look at it, everybody made money out of the FIA, everyone except the FIA. Everyone gets the credit, except the FIA.

“It’s true. When I took over, we had a running operating cost of minus 20 million. Why? Because we have our income as everybody. But look at the promoters… And good on them and I congratulate them, they are smart enough to do that.”

Ben Sulayem went on to suggest that Liberty Media, owners of F1, were the ones benefiting the most and that if he was part of the negotiation to sell the sport to the American company, he would have looked for a better deal for the FIA.

More from PlanetF1.com

FIA explained: What does it stand for and how does it govern F1?

Explained: The FIA’s significant financial gain from F1’s Sprint increase

“But I’ll be very, very honest, as always. So Liberty Media did a great job in transforming Formula 1. If you tell me if I could go back in time, would I undo [that]? No way. I wouldn’t undo that, but I would just make sure that the FIA is two equals with them.

“They are a good promoter, they are. If you ask me today: is there anyone who is capable as much as them? I can see that [there isn’t]. I support them in what they are doing. The FIA works with them in the best [possible] way.

“But then, the regulations and the governance is the [work of the] FIA.

“And then, let everyone make money. Let the drivers have fun, race in a safe way and make money. And let the team principals make more money, [and] they are.

“But the FIA will never get the credit. Impossible.”

Read next: Lewis Hamilton warned of ‘dangerous game to play’ ahead of Bono split