Formula One chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem faces more backlash after controversial remarks made on his old website resurface in which he suggested he ‘does not like women who think they are smarter than men’
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, 61, took over the governing FIA 13 months ago
Formula One ruler has been ambushed by remarks he made on his old website
Comes after Ben Sulayem was criticised for saying F1 was not worth £16billion
New Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur insists ‘there will be no No 1 driver’ next season as he promises Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz an equal crack at claiming the F1 world title
are you friggin kiddin me...
https://www.thedrive.com/news/indycar-team-changes-driver-number-to-scrub-terrorist-symbolism
2012-—never seen this before...
Mario Andretti gives Trump a ride
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6lB2tMWT64
‘Never say never’: Romain Grosjean admits he could RETURN to F1 if US giant Andretti seals a spot on the grid - as he opens up on 140mph fireball smash that nearly killed him... and his new life in America
Red Bull become the first F1 team in history to launch a car in the US as fans (and Max Verstappen!) sees brand new RB19 for the first time in New York - with very few obvious changes to last season’s winning formula
ohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, has announced that he’s relinquishing hands-on control of Formula 1. The decision is reportedly a planned one, but the timing suggests it may have to do with recent controversies he’s been involved with.
News of 61-year-old Ben Sulayem’s concession came in the form of an email sent to F1 team bosses earlier this week. The message informed the 10 team principals that Sulayem would be stepping back from the day-to-day operations, effectively handing control over to Nikolas Tombazis, who was only recently promoted as the FIA’s current Single Seater Director last month as part of a larger restructuring.
Mohammed ben Sulayem
via Getty Images
Ben Sulayem will remain as president of the FIA, a position that he was elected to back in December 2021; however, daily F1 operations will no longer be in his purview. At the time he was elected, Ben Sulayem revealed that he planned to restructure F1’s operations as a whole.
That restructuring began taking shape last month with a shakeup of senior management in the FIA’s Single-Seater Department. Ben Sulayem says it’s time he hands the reins to someone else, making Tombazis the effective point of contact. This doesn’t mean high-level decisions and other strategic issues won’t pass over Ben Sulayem’s desk from time to time.
“My stated objective was to be a non-executive president via the recruitment of a team of professional managers, which has now been largely completed,” reads Ben Sulayem’s email. “Therefore, going forward, your day-to-day contact for all matters on F1 will be with Nikolas and his team, while I will focus on strategic matters with my leadership team.”
The news of Ben Sulayem’s withdrawal from daily operations comes amid bouts of controversy surrounding the reigning FIA president.
Last month, Ben Sulayem claimed that F1’s $20 billion valuation was “inflated” and “exaggerated.” The remarks prompted a letter from F1’s lawyers, saying he had “interfered” with the series’ commercial rights territory. Series owner Liberty Media claims only it has the right to speak on such matters under the agreement penned with former FIA president Max Mosley.
Separately, a controversial remark made by Ben Sulayem was recently uncovered on his disused personal website. The comment, which was written in 2001, mentions that Sulayem did not “like women who think they are smarter than men,” The Times reports. The FIA responded to the findings by noting that Ben Sulayem has “a strong record in promoting women and equality in sport.”
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: rob@thedrive.com
shot in helicopter control mode, likely a preprogrammed flight, but goood stuff...
Extended drone tour of Hendrick Motorsports
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8JtXJ5_rrs
i think it’s smaller than mine because of some of the tight places it goes thru, but it’s shadow is deceiving
when it thumps down onto the truck, it’s intentionally trying to stick the landing and not blow off
you can hear it lift off from the truck too
good stuff...
Will A.I Replace Car Designers?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJr3Zpqfzy4
World renowned car designer, Frank Stephenson, makes a comprehensive account of what the introduction of Artificial Intelligence will mean for the future of the automotive industry.
not F1, but...
Lance Stroll set to miss entirety of F1’s pre-season testing in Bahrain after bicycle crash while training in Spain: Canadian Aston Martin driver suffered ‘minor injuries’
Lance Stroll was cycling in Spain when he crashed and sustained minor injury
There has been no word on who might replace him during pre-season testing
Click here for all your latest international Sports news from DailyMail.com
By Jake Fenner For Dailymail.Com
Published: 11:07 EST, 20 February 2023 | Updated: 13:20 EST, 20 February 2023
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Canadian Formula One driver Lance Stroll will miss the whole of preseason testing after a ‘minor accident’ on a bicycle in Spain.
In a statement, the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One team confirmed the incident and it’s impact on testing.
‘Whilst pre-season training on a bicycle in Spain, Lance Stroll was involved in a minor accident and sustained injuries which will result in him sitting out the pre-season test in Bahrain,’ the team’s statement read.
‘Lance is however expecting a quick recovery and return to driving duties. His fitness to return to the cockpit will be assessed daily and the team will issue an update ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
‘The team wishes Lance a speedy recovery and looks forward to his usual energy and commitment within the team.’
Aston Martin’s Canadian driver Lance Stroll will miss all of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain
Aston Martin’s Canadian driver Lance Stroll will miss all of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain
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A post shared by Lance Stroll (@lance_stroll)
Stroll also released a statement through the team, saying, ‘I’ve had an unfortunate accident whilst training on my bike in preparation for the season.
‘I am determined to get back in the car and I am excited about the season ahead with the team. I am motivated to bounce back from this setback as quickly as possible.’
It’s sure to be a massive setback for the Canadian - who will be sidelined during an important time for teams to develop their cars.
This comes at an unfortunate time - with testing set to begin this Wednesday at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. It’s unclear if Stroll will be healthy in time for the first grand prix of the season - also held in Bahrain.
Testing proves to be a time where drivers can get a better understanding and handle of their machines - allowing them to relay information back to the teams to tweak their cars in their favor.
Stroll will miss out on that - potentially hurting his chances to improve from last season’s standings for both his driver and his constructor.
In the 2022 Formula One World Championship, Stroll finished No. 15 in the standings - with top-ten finishes in eight races and two retirements for 18 points.
His teammate - the since retired Sebastian Vettel finished No. 12 after missing the first two races of the season with COVID - but still managed ten top-ten finishes and 37 points. Stroll also finished behind his now-teammate Fernando Alonso - who only failed to score points in eight races and ended the season ninth in the standings.
As a constructor, Aston Martin finished seventh in the standings - tied on points, but behind Alfa Romeo.
Stroll will miss out on valuable time behind the wheel to improve his chances at a better finish
Stroll will miss out on valuable time behind the wheel to improve his chances at a better finish
Aston Martin has not confirmed who might be stepping in to take Stroll’s place this week
Aston Martin has not confirmed who might be stepping in to take Stroll’s place this week
While Stroll recovers, Aston Martin could choose to turn to either of its reserve drivers
While Stroll recovers, Aston Martin could choose to turn to either of its reserve drivers
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Aston Martin has not yet announced who might be stepping in to take Stroll’s place during testing that starts on Wednesday and runs until Friday.
The team has two reserve drivers: 2022 Formula Two champion Felipe Drugovich of Brazil and former McLaren driver Stoffel Vandoorne of Belgium.
Vandoorne has not been in a Formula One car since he left McLaren as their No. 2 driver behind Alonso in 2018.
Last year, Drugovich took some laps in Aston’s 2021 car at Silverstone - as well as their 2022 machine during free practice in last year’s season-ender at Abu Dhabi.
F1 ‘Will Never Go Electric,’ Says CEO
We called it: F1’s CEO says batteries aren’t the future for the world’s premier open-wheel race series.
https://www.thedrive.com/news/formula-1-will-never-go-electric-says-ceo
does anybody want to post a race?