FIA Sees Another Departure As Mohammed Ben Sulayem Feud Reports Emerge

The FIA faces increasing leadership turmoil with Paolo Basarri’s exit amid reported conflicts with President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

Nov 3, 2019; Austin, TX, USA; A view of the FIA Formula One flag before the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The FIA is facing yet another high-profile exit, this time involving Paolo Basarri, the former compliance officer. His departure is rumored to be linked to deeper tensions within Formula 1’s governing body, with emerging reports of a rift between Basarri and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

According to a report by BBC Sport, the termination was reportedly due to Basarri's resistance to certain directives from Ben Sulayem, complicating their professional relationship.

Basarri's departure came on the heels of investigating accusations against Ben Sulayem regarding the 2023 racing season. One of these included a whistleblower’s claim that Ben Sulayem overturned a penalty for Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso during the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and sought to obstruct the certification of the Las Vegas circuit. Though cleared by the FIA ethics committee, the allegations appear to have contributed to strained dynamics between Basarri and Ben Sulayem. In response to inquiries about his departure, Basarri's comment was succinct: "I cannot comment on this."

Complicating the situation further, Basarri's dismissal seems to have bypassed FIA organizational protocol, as it reportedly happened without the required Senate approval.

Basarri is not alone in his departure from the FIA. Niels Wittich, the former F1 race director, recently exited under contentious circumstances. While the FIA's official statement suggested Wittich "stepped down," he contests this narrative, asserting, as per the BBC Sport report:

"I can confirm that I got fired and it was not my decision to leave F1."

These high-profile exits are accompanied by a broader turnover of senior figures within the FIA. Earlier departures include Steve Nielsen, Deborah Mayer, Tim Goss, Natalie Robyn, and others who recently left various important positions.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s presidency, which began in 2021, has been marked by persistent criticism and challenges. Early controversies, like his handling of the fallout from the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, set a precedent for contentious leadership.

Controversies around Ben Sulayem further intensified with the FIA's clampdown on drivers regarding language. Both Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc faced penalties for swearing, prompting the Grand Prix Drivers' Association to push back with a call for fairer treatment. They argue that the FIA's punitive measures for swearing were excessive and called for clarity in how such fines are distributed.

The GPDA statement read:

"As is the case with every sport, competitors must abide by the referee’s decision, whether they like it or not, indeed whether they agree with it or not. That is how sport works. The Drivers (our members) are no different, and fully understand that.

"Our members are professional drivers, racing in Formula 1, the pinnacle of international motorsport. They are the gladiators and every racing weekend they put on a great show for the fans.

"With regards to swearing, there is a difference between swearing intended to insult others and more casual swearing, such as you might use to describe bad weather, or indeed an inanimate object such as a Formula 1 car, or a driving situation.

"We urge the FIA President to also consider his own tone and language when talking to our member drivers, or indeed about them, whether in a public forum or otherwise. Further, our members are adults, they do not need to be given instructions via the media, about matters as trivial as the wearing of jewellery and underpants.

"The GPDA has, on countless occasions, expressed its view that Driver monetary fines are not appropriate for our Sport. For the past 3 years, we have called upon the FIA President to share the details and strategy regarding how the FIA's financial fines are allocated and where the funds are spent. We have also relayed our concerns about the negative image financial fines bring to the Sport. We once again request that the FIA President provides financial transparency and direct, open dialogue with us. All stakeholders (FIA, F1, the Teams and the GPDA) should jointly determine how and where the money is spent for the benefit of our Sport.

"The GPDA wishes to collaborate in a constructive way with all the stakeholders, including the FIA President, in order to promote our great Sport for the benefit of everyone who works in it, pays for it, watches it, and indeed loves it. We are playing our part."