In a sport addicted to control and allergic to transparency, Mohammed Ben Sulayem walked into the FIA presidency with a racer’s instinct and a statesman’s smile — only to find himself presiding over a Formula 1 that’s faster, louder, and more politically combustible than ever.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem (born 1961) became the first non-European president of the FIA in December 2021. A former rally driver and motorsport figurehead in the Middle East, his election was historic. But what came next was something else entirely: a pressure cooker presidency, caught between Liberty Media’s commercial ambitions, the old guard’s regulatory instincts, and a new generation of fans who don’t care who’s in charge — unless they screw it up.
He wanted to modernize the FIA.
Instead, he inherited its most chaotic era in decades.
Biggest Achievements
- Elected FIA president in December 2021, succeeding Jean Todt after 12 years
- First-ever non-European to hold the role; former champion rally driver from the UAE
- Promised greater transparency, diversity, and regulatory independence
- Oversaw FIA during key flashpoints:
– Post-2021 Abu Dhabi scandal fallout
– 2022 and 2023 porpoising/safety regulations
– 2026 engine and chassis regulation revamp - Pushed back against Liberty Media’s commercial influence, particularly over sprint races and team expansion (Andretti saga)
- Survived early-term controversies including:
– Alleged sexist remarks (which he said were outdated quotes)
– Clash over unannounced investigation into Saudi GP
– Power struggles over grid access, decision-making, and who actually runs F1
The Role He Plays – Power, Genius & Personality
Ben Sulayem stepped into a presidency with more landmines than leverage.
He inherited a scorched earth:
– Michael Masi’s credibility in ruins after the 2021 Abu Dhabi title decider.
– Liberty Media eager to expand F1’s global reach without regulatory friction.
– Teams emboldened, drivers outspoken, and social media permanently on high alert.
He promised reform. But Formula 1 doesn’t do clean transitions.
What we got was a man caught between eras:
– Old-school FIA rigidity,
– New-school media heat,
– And an ecosystem that respects authority only when it loses.
Ben Sulayem has tried to modernize the FIA’s image — updating diversity policies, reviewing procedures, and launching public transparency initiatives. He even stepped back from direct F1 oversight in 2023 to distance himself from day-to-day race ops — a move framed as delegation, but widely seen as strategic retreat amid increasing friction with Liberty and the teams.
He also isn’t afraid of confrontation. He’s challenged Liberty over the calendar. Opposed the Andretti entry on regulatory grounds. Questioned safety risks with direct language. And his Middle Eastern background — once seen as symbolic — is now central, as F1 shifts deeper into the Gulf.
But while he talks like a reformer, his presidency has been marked by tension:
– A cold war with team bosses.
– Friction with Stefano Domenicali.
– Leaks, letters, and whispers about “overreach.”
He isn’t theatrical like Balestre.
He isn’t calculating like Mosley.
He’s trying to be both — with a global media circus at his heels.
Life Outside the Pit Wall
Before politics, Ben Sulayem was a rally legend — 14-time Middle East Rally Champion, known for both speed and showmanship. He became a motorsport ambassador for the UAE, heavily involved in promoting safety, education, and international expansion.
He holds degrees from the University of Ulster and the American University in Washington D.C., and speaks multiple languages fluently — a skill more useful than horsepower in the boardrooms of Paris and Geneva.
He’s also a symbol: a post-Bernie, post-European face of a globalized F1. That gives him weight. But it also gives him enemies.
Career Summary
Sulayem’s FIA journey began as a vice president for sport in the Middle East, eventually leading global road safety and development programs. His presidency campaign emphasized diversity, modernization, and transparency — and won narrowly over Graham Stoker in 2021.
His early presidency was marred by Abu Dhabi 2021 fallout, with teams and fans furious over how the FIA handled its own mess. Ben Sulayem removed race director Michael Masi, installed new race control procedures, and tried to restore credibility.
But the Liberty conflict — simmering beneath — exploded across 2022–2023:
– F1’s commercial wing wants more races, more spectacle, less interference.
– The FIA wants control, credibility, and a stake in the sport’s direction.
– In the middle: Ben Sulayem, juggling influence with increasing scrutiny.
Legacy (in progress)
Ben Sulayem’s legacy is still under construction — and under siege.
If he succeeds, he may become the man who brought the FIA into the 21st century for real:
– Transparent.
– Diverse.
– Global.
– Balanced with commercial power.
If he fails, he may be remembered as the last man who thought the FIA could still run Formula 1 — not just wave its flag.
Right now, he’s not rewriting the rulebook.
He’s fighting for the right to hold the pen.
The presidency isn’t what it was.
But the pressure? Oh, that’s still vintage Formula 1.
And Mohammed Ben Sulayem is learning — race by race, briefing by briefing — that in this sport, you don’t just govern the chaos. You become it.
