FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem denies ‘reign of terror' claim from rival
Ben Sulayem's controversial first term as head of the FIA will come to an end in December. The 63-year-old has confirmed he will stand for a second term and is poised to face off against Tim Mayer after the American announced his candidacy in the buildup to Sunday's British Grand Prix.
A number of high-profile figures have left the FIA under Ben Sulayem's stewardship. His deputy, Robert Reid, the former rally co-driver, resigned from his post earlier this year. Ben Sulayem has also had multiple run-ins with Formula One and the sport's biggest stars, notably Lewis Hamilton over the wearing of jewellery in the cockpit, and Max Verstappen on swearing.
Launching his bid to run against Ben Sulayem, Mayer, who was sacked as chair of the FIA stewards in November, took aim at the Emirati's controversial leadership, describing it as 'a failure' and an 'illusion of integrity'. He also accused Ben Sulayem of marginalising women and rushing through statute amendments to enhance his power.
In response, Ben Sulayem said: 'I feel for people [who] say this. They are disconnected from the FIA. He [Mayer] has worked as a steward. A steward doesn't mean you're an insider of the FIA. You're not staff. I have other things to do. I am really busy. I am not going to fall into this way of campaigning where I answer someone. He is free to say whatever he wants.
'But the FIA is bigger than me, bigger than anyone. It's not about the media. One thing is very clear. It is the members who vote. It's not anyone who is here to have a vote. It's them. If they decide they want me, or they want X, Y, Z, it's up to them. And I know that whatever I've been doing is good for the members. I've been very straight with them.
'Let's wait for the general assembly and let's see if they will get me out, then. They have the power to get me out. It's about the members. And when I see them smiling. Maybe, I don't know, maybe they're smiling, truly or not, but it's their decision.'
Ben Sulayem initially clashed with F1 and the grid's 10 teams over the introduction of an 11th outfit. However, Cadillac – a division of American motoring giant General Motors and supported by TWG Motorsport – will be on the grid next season.
Sign up to The Recap
The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action
after newsletter promotion
Ben Sulayem said talks are ongoing with a Chinese manufacturer about the possibility of a 12th F1 entry. 'I still feel that we need more teams than more races. If there is a Chinese [bid] and I will speak on behalf of Formula One management now. Think of the long term. If there is another team from China, they will approve it 100% because it is good for business. Wouldn't it make more money with China coming in? I believe, yes. Do we have to fill up another team for the sake of filling up that 12th team. No, it will be the right team.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
13 minutes ago
- Reuters
Italian judges dismiss case against Meloni over release of Libyan suspect
ROME, Aug 4 (Reuters) - An Italian judicial body has dropped a case against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who had been placed under investigation following the release of a Libyan police officer wanted by the International Criminal Court, she said on Monday. Osama Elmasry Njeem was freed in January and flown home in an Italian state aircraft just days after being detained in the northern city of Turin under an ICC arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity, including murder, torture and rape. "The judges dismissed the case only against me," Meloni said in a post on social media X. She was under investigation for allegedly aiding and abetting a crime and misuse of public funds. Meloni added that based on the document she received, magistrates will pursue the case against Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, Justice Minister Carlo Nordio and Cabinet Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano, who had been placed under investigation with her. "I maintain that this government acts cohesively under my leadership: every decision, especially one so important, is agreed upon. It is therefore absurd to request that Piantedosi, Nordio and Mantovano stand trial, but not myself, before them," Meloni wrote on X. The ICC has been investigating allegations of serious crimes committed in Libya since the country's 2011 civil war following a referral by the U.N. Security Council. Justice Minister Nordio told parliament in February that Italy had no choice but to free Elmasry due to mistakes and inaccuracies in the arrest warrant.
Daily Mail
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Civilization collapse now 'inevitable' after chilling patterns in past empires are uncovered
The collapse of human civilization is now seen as inevitable, according to a research who said 5,000 years of history have exposed clear and alarming patterns. Dr Luke Kemp of the University of Cambridge found inequality, environmental damage, reckless leaders and fragile systems lead to ancient collapse, and every warning sign is currently flashing. ' We can't put a date on Doomsday, but by looking at the 5,000 years of [civilization], we can understand the trajectories we face today, and self-termination is most likely,' he told the Guardian. Kemp's new book, Goliath's Curse, details the rise and fall of ancient powers, including imperial China, Rome and the Classical Lowland Maya. While those collapses were often regional and survivable, Kemp said the next one will be global, and devastating. His research found that every fallen empire shared the same fatal traits, including top-heavy regimes dominated by elites, fueled by inequality and held together by violence. He referred to these societies as 'Goliaths,' vast, brittle power structures built on hoarded grain, monopolized weapons and populations trapped in place with nowhere to run. 'History is best told as a story of organized crime,' Kemp said. 'It is one group creating a monopoly on resources through the use of violence over a certain territory and population.' A research analyzed the rise and fall of more than 400 empires throughout history, uncovering alarming patterns that he said are visible today Kemp analyzed the rise and fall of more than 400 societies, coming to the theory that inequality kills civilizations. As elites extract wealth from the masses and destroy the environment, societies become hollow shells, vulnerable to war, disease and collapse. And it's not simple greed driving the fall, he said, but a small number of individuals exhibiting the 'dark triad' of narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism. These toxic traits, found in past ruling classes, are now surfacing in global leadership, The Guardian reported. Kemp named Donald Trump as the narcissist, Vladimir Putin as the psychopath, and Xi Jinping as the Machiavellian, claiming the most powerful leaders on Earth now embody the very traits that historically trigger collapse. One of the most consistent red flags Kemp found through hundreds of collapsed societies was extreme inequality. In ancient empires, wealth and power became concentrated among a small elite while the majority were left impoverished and burdened. Kemp said today's widening wealth gap and corporate monopolies mirror that pattern, eroding social cohesion and weakening resilience. Another alarming parallel was humanity's total dependence on complex, global systems. In the past, people could return to hunting or farming when governments fell. Now, most humans rely on fragile global supply chains, if they collapse, everything collapses, Kemp warned. Environmental destruction was also following the same trajectory. Historical collapses were often preceded by regional climate shifts of just 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Scientists now project a global rise of 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit or more, along with massive deforestation and resource depletion. Kemp also warned the next collapse could be far more violent as in the past, power struggles were fought with swords or muskets. That is because the the modern world has more than 10,000 nuclear weapons, and far more destructive technology. Kemp outlined three reasons why the next collapse could be far more devastating than anything humanity has faced before. First is elite violence. In the past, power struggles were fought with swords or muskets. Today, world leaders have access to more than 10,000 nuclear weapons. Second is our dependence on complex systems. Ancient populations could return to farming or hunting to survive. But modern societies rely heavily on fragile global supply chains, if they fail, we fall with them, he shared. Third is the scale of the threats themselves. Historical climate shifts typically involved a one-degree change. While past collapses sometimes led to better conditions, healthier, taller, and freer populations after empire fell, Kemp warns that today's single, globalized system leaves nowhere to hide.
Telegraph
13 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Labour's Gaza mess is only worsening
Sir Keir Starmer's Government is digging itself into an ever deeper hole over its plan to recognise Palestine as a state. At home, this cowardly gesture has unleashed a hornets' nest; abroad, it has gratified the butchers of Hamas. Supporters of Palestine Action, which was proscribed after its attack on RAF Brize Norton, are calling for mass civil disobedience next Saturday in order to 'overwhelm' the police and courts. One of their leaders is Moazzam Begg, who spent three years as a detainee in Guantanamo Bay. Speaking in Birmingham at the weekend, Mr Begg told what he called 'the resistance' that 'we have a massive presence in this city' and must 'engage our leaders, our imams, our habits, those in positions of power, to join, there is strength in numbers'. In 2010 Mr Begg was paid an undisclosed sum in compensation for his time in Guantanamo, reported at the time to be £1m or more. In 2014 he was arrested for Syria-related terrorism offences, although charges were subsequently dropped. Will he now once more face the law? Supporting a proscribed terrorist organisation such as Palestine Action is a criminal offence. Meanwhile, those who warned against rewarding Hamas for rape, massacre and hostage-taking have been vindicated. Last week, Basem Naim, one of the terrorist organisation's leaders, exulted in the UK's support for the Palestinian cause: 'Victory and liberation are closer than we expected.' Hamas is still running Gaza; British recognition of Palestine would hand them a huge propaganda victory. Yesterday, the Prime Minister's spokesman refused to say whether such a state would be recognised if Hamas remains in control of Gaza. Downing Street repeats the mantra that ' Hamas can have no role in the future governance of Gaza '. But it insists that it cannot make recognition conditional on the actions of Hamas, a terrorist group, as the UK does not negotiate with terrorists and such demands would be tantamount to negotiation. Conditions seemingly only apply to democratic states. The legal knots in which this Government has tied itself would be comical if the consequences were not so tragic. Starmer and Lord Hermer, the Attorney General, are both lawyers to their fingertips. Yet they have conjured up a policy that is legally incoherent, morally indefensible and pleases nobody.
