Mohammed ben Sulayem hanging onto position after FIA president brought up potential conflict of interest between Toto and Susie Wolff

On Friday night, Mohammed ben Sulayem faced a challenge to his prominent role in global motorsport. Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, openly criticized the president of the FIA, the governing body of Formula One, just before the end-of-season gala dinner in Baku, Azerbaijan. Hamilton deemed the president’s actions ‘unacceptable’ for raising a potential conflict of interest involving Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and his wife Susie, who manages the F1-owned female-only F1 Academy.

While Hamilton’s voice carries weight as a world champion, the concerns for Ben Sulayem, a former Emirati rally driver, extended beyond that. The core issue lies within the FIA, a global organization comprised of member federations that exclusively choose their president. A significant insider in the sport, close to the situation, conveyed to Mail Sport that Ben Sulayem’s position is precarious, stating, ‘Anything could happen now.’ The insider expressed disapproval of the treatment towards Susie and emphasized widespread support for her.

Moreover, the insider hinted at potential sources behind the controversy, possibly pointing to a Ben Sulayem adviser or the Business F1 magazine that first reported the story. The overall sentiment suggests an ongoing and troubling situation for the FIA president.

Mohammed must address the situation or face the repercussions.

In this month’s Business F1, it was explicitly stated that team principals expressed concern about Wolff obtaining information from Susie. The FIA referred the matter to their compliance department on Tuesday night. A day later, all nine non-Mercedes teams denied officially raising a conflict of interest, undermining Ben Sulayem, who had previously expressed unfavorable views towards women.

By that point, Susie Wolff, in a statement released on Tuesday, accused an unnamed individual, presumed to be Ben Sulayem, of misogyny. Just 48 hours later, in a highly embarrassing reversal, the FIA called off their inquiry. On Friday, Toto Wolff threatened legal action against the governing body, demanding full transparency on the events and reserving all legal rights.

Ben Sulayem was absent from the gala dinner press conference, with the FIA citing a fall and concussion. They assured a full recovery, but the 62-year-old, elected in December 2021 for a four-year term, may potentially continue as president with diminished powers if members desire his removal. His deputy, Robert Reid, a world championship-winning rally co-driver, waits as a potential successor.