Ben Sulayem: ‘F1 can’t punish success or forget its roots’

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has pushed back against Formula 1’s push for more sprints, shorter grands prix and even reverse grids, warning the sport must balance showbusiness with sporting integrity.

"Commercially, I understand his position," he told Viaplay of F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali’s bid to spice up the format for younger fans. "Stefano is a good friend, we speak five times a week, but I also always consider the additional burden on our staff. They already travel a lot, and it’s very tiring to get more races. You also have to ask yourself if it’s good for the teams."

Ben Sulayem insisted the sport cannot lean too far in either direction. "There are multiple interests at stake. If you only focus on the sporting side, you run into commercial problems and vice versa. Both must be balanced."

While Liberty Media considers dropping European venues like Imola, Zandvoort and Barcelona, he cautioned against erasing heritage. "Africa deserves a race, but the question is whether it’s financially viable. We can’t forget Europe either, that’s where the sport started, and that’s where all the innovation takes place."

The 63-year-old is also proud of pushing Cadillac’s controversial 2026 entry through, despite resistance from existing teams. "At first it felt like I’d committed a crime," he said. "Now I can smile about it. I think it’s more important to have more teams than more races. With more teams, the sport has a more stable foundation."

Asked about Max Verstappen’s dominance, he laughed off suggestions the FIA should ever intervene. "People sometimes said to me: can’t you do something to make sure Max doesn’t win so much?," said Ben Sulayem.

"I always said, how can I punish success? That would be unfair. Do you want the best held back, or the weaker ones to improve?"

Ben Sulayem is seeking re-election in December against two challengers and admits he is often booed at circuits. "I understand that. Have you ever seen a referee being cheered?" he defended.

"Of course the FIA gets the boos. You can’t please everyone, but if you remove race control and the stewards, you get chaos."