Two years ago, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem made one of his first daring acts as president, implying that he would consider barring Lewis Hamilton from the Monaco Grand Prix if he refused to follow the governing body’s rules regarding jewellery use in the cockpit. 24 months later, tensions remain high between the two.
Hamilton had raised concerns about Ben Sulayem’s fines for wearing jewellery while driving, prompting the newly-elected FIA president to tell the Daily Mail: “That’s up to him. Fines apply. It’s like when someone speeds down the road; you can’t stop them, yet they are penalised, even if it was unintentional.
You can’t let people off because they are your friends. There has to be one rule for all, and that’s that. I love jewellery. I absolutely love it. But in the car, there can be no choice. People say they (the rules) haven’t been implemented before. Don’t ask me why not. People can ask the old regime why that is the case.”
While the battle between Hamilton and Ben Sulayem over jewellery is not the pressing issue it once was, there have been several other controversial incidents involving the FIA president which have served to undermine his authority among key figures within the paddock, including the seven-time world champion.
One of the most contentious decisions was to probe F1 Academy head Susie Wolff. The investigation was begun following a BusinessF1 magazine article claiming that team principals were concerned about the Scot’s potential disclosure of classified information to her husband, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
Mrs Wolff was outraged by the investigation, as were all ten teams on the grid, which issued synchronised comments distancing themselves from the stated issues. The 41-year-old eventually sued the FIA for their involvement in the embarrassing situation.
Ben Sulayem was accused of attempting to reverse Fernando Alonso’s penalty at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and preventing the Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit from gaining certification ahead of the inaugural race. Despite being cleared of any wrongdoing, this did not endear him to Hamilton, who was asked about it ahead of the Australian Grand Prix earlier this year.