The writing is on the wall, if F1 drivers don’t read the writing now, things might turn for the worse, as Ben Sualyem is not making things easy for them. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem wants to include heavier fines for swearing drivers as he looks to take the necessary steps to bring change in his reign.
The heavier fines will see drivers being fined large amounts of money, and points will be deducted for repeated breaches. On Instagram, Sulayem mentioned how humans make the rules, and this is how humans can improve the rules, referring to himself.
“Following constructive feedback from drivers across our seven FIA world championships, I am considering making improvements to Appendix B. As a former rally driver, I understand the demands they face better than most. Appendix B is a key part of the International Sporting Code and is central in helping keep the sport accessible for all our sporting family.Humans make the rules and humans can improve the rules. This principle of continuous improvement is something I have always believed in and is at the heart of all we do at the FIA.”
Speaking at the driver’s press conference at the Miami Grand Prix, GDPA director George Russel and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton questioned the current power structure and believes the FIA should work together with the drivers to make the sport better.
“I think ultimately the GPDA is very unified. Ultimately, we want to be able to work closely with the FIA. I think everyone, all of us want to continue to work together and make the sport better. And of course, we’ve faced a bit of an uphill challenge in that communication over time. Ultimately, we don’t hold a power seat at the table and that needs to change, in my opinion. If you look at other sports that have unions, that may be something that comes into play at some stage” said Ferrari driver Hamilton.
George Russell was appointed as a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) in March 2021, This trade union represents and fights for the best interests of the Formula 1 drivers. Russel expressed how his so disappointed by how individuals use power to get their way and punish individuals just to prove a point.
“I feel it’s like unprecedented times we’ve been in the last 18 months with what’s been changing, what’s happening.I think when the GPDA was founded years ago, it wasn’t really to talk about politics. It was to talk about safety, it was to talk about improvements of the sport, improvements of the racing. And, especially myself, I find myself talking about topics that I didn’t really have any intention of talking about, but we find ourselves in a time where we’re not focused on the things why we’re all here.We’re here to go racing. We’re here to create the best show for the fans, to have the fastest cars, the safest cars, the best technology, the best engineering. And yet we talk about fines and punishments and swearing.So, maybe something should change. We’re open to it, but we just ultimately want the best for the sport.”
Ben Sulayem will be running for re-election for the FIA president role in December. The 63-year-old was appointed president in December 2021, since his appointment there has been a lot of turmoil within the governing body and a lot of back-and-forth with drivers.
