Formula One’s ruling body the FIA has said “allegations of abuse are taken very seriously” after its president Mohammed Ben Sulayem was accused of sexism.
The Daily Telegraph has reported that former FIA employee Shaila-Ann Rao wrote a letter accusing Ben Sulayem of sexist behaviour following her departure from the federation last year.
Rao, who was the FIA’s interim secretary general for motor sport, left the organisation in December after just six months.
However, the FIA said it followed “due process” following the “specific allegations” surrounding Rao and said an “amicable negotiation” followed.
Responding to the Daily Telegraph’s report, a spokesperson for the FIA said: “The FIA takes allegations of abuse very seriously and addresses all complaints using robust and clear procedures.
“As part of this, the FIA has an anti-harassment policy, an anonymous whistleblowing facility and an investigation procedure and all staff are made aware of these through an induction and regular training.
“With regards to the specific allegations surrounding Shaila-Ann Rao, due process was followed, with an amicable negotiation conducted by the President of the Senate and as such, no referrals were made to the Ethics Committee.
“As previously stated, both parties agreed she would leave her position in November 2022 and mutual privacy terms were agreed as is common business practice.”
Rao’s claim in her letter – which the PA news agency has been told by a high-level source in the sport was sent – is the latest in a string of setbacks which has marred Ben Sulayem’s presidency.
Earlier this year, Ben Sulayem, who took on the role as FIA president from Jean Todt in December 2021, was quoted on an archived version of his old website as saying that he did “not like women who think they are smarter than men”.
The FIA said the sexist remarks do not reflect his beliefs.
He was also accused of “unacceptable” interference by F1 in response to a series of tweets in which he said a £16.2billion valuation of the sport was “inflated”.
New Sprint format gets seal of approval from @F1 Commission and World Motor Sport Council – here's how the upcoming #AzerbaijanGP weekend will look ?https://t.co/Rt3CeiCg7s
— FIA (@fia) April 25, 2023
Ben Sulayem was told that the FIA could be “liable” for harming the value of F1’s owners, Liberty Media.
The president has also clashed with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton over the wearing of jewellery in the cockpit, while the FIA this season U-turned on a move to prevent drivers from making “political, religious or personal” comments without prior approval following a driver-led backlash.
Ben Sulayem gave up the day-to-day running of F1 to director of single-seater racing Nikolas Tombazis in February. He is however expected to attend this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix despite the latest storm.
Christian Horner fears the Monaco Grand Prix will be “left behind” unless drastic changes are made to Formula One’s most famous track – as rain saved another procession in the principality on Sunday.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen led every lap to win for a second time in Monte Carlo, extending his championship lead to 39 points after six rounds.
Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso took second place, with Alpine’s Esteban Ocon third. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished fourth and fifth respectively for Mercedes.
Sergio Perez, Verstappen’s closest title challenger, endured a horror show. He started last and finished 16th after five pit stops, and multiple collisions with different competitors, and the walls that wind their way round the two-mile course.
For 51 laps, the race was a dud. Verstappen saw off Alonso on the short run to Sainte Devote and the major players followed round one by one.
The rain enlivened the predictable spectacle. Carlos Sainz slid off and kissed the wall at Mirabeau in his Ferrari, while Russell and Perez made contact after the Mercedes man rejoined the track following an error, also at the rain-soaked Mirabeau corner.
Lance Stroll hit the barriers twice and Haas’ calamitous decision to keep Kevin Magnussen on slick tyres backfired as the Dane crunched the wall at Rascasse.
But take away the sodden race track, and the top dozen were on course to take the chequered flag in the order they started.
And even with the downpour, Verstappen, Alonso and Ocon, who started first, second and third, finished first, second and third.
“It was an exceptionally boring race until the rain came down,” was Russell’s damning verdict.
Red Bull team principal Horner, fresh from celebrating his team’s sixth win from as many races, picked up the debate.
“It’s Monaco and it’s here for its history and its uniqueness,” he said. “But the problem is that the cars are so big now.
“All venues have to evolve a little and if there was just one area where you could create space for an overtake it would just give that chance, because so much weight is placed on qualifying. The race is won or lost on Saturday.
“I am sure that with the creativeness there is and the amount of land they are reclaiming here, there’s got to be the opportunity to introduce a bigger braking zone.
“Maybe make Turn 1 a little sharper or slower, or extend the circuit if there is the opportunity to add in another kilometre that included a hairpin – that would be phenomenal.
“It’s something to contemplate because when you think of the next 20 years of Monaco you don’t want to see it left behind.
“It earns its place on the calendar. It’s the jewel in the crown in many respects, but as the sport continues to move forward you can’t stand still, and Monaco needs to be part of that process.”
Despite being considered among the most glamorous events in world sport, the Monaco track has remain largely unchanged from the first grand prix staged in 1929, and some have claimed it is no longer fit for purpose in its current guise.
F1 bosses have looked at ways to adapt the tight and twisty layout, but have made little progress.
Verstappen kept his composure in the changeable conditions, and even survived a bump with the wall when the rain landed at Portier, to take his 39th win for Red Bull, surpassing Sebastian Vettel’s record of 38 victories for the grid’s all-conquering team.
“If you have a good car you can break these numbers,” said Verstappen.
“I never thought I would be in this position in my career. Growing up, I wanted to be a Formula One driver and I am now winning these races. It is amazing and better than I could have ever imagined.”
Max Verstappen claims Miami fans only booed him because of his success
Max Verstappen said he is targeted by Formula One’s boo brigade because they are jealous of him winning.
Verstappen landed a third victory of the season with a fine drive from ninth at Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix to extend his championship lead to 14 points over Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.
The double world champion was heckled as he was introduced on the grid in the moments before the race, and then also on the podium as he was presented with his winner’s trophy.
But a typically bullish Verstappen said: “If I am driving at the back nobody will be doing anything in terms of a reaction.
“It is normal when you are winning and they don’t like who is winning. This is something which is absolutely fine for me as long as I stand on the top step of the podium.
“That is the most important thing. I take the trophy home and they can go back to their houses and have a nice evening.”
Verstappen was jeered during the pre-race razzmatazz which involved American rapper LL Cool J acting as Master of Ceremonies and will.i.am conducting an orchestra.
It is understood the pre-race show seen in Miami will only take place at certain events, possibly eight in all, this season.
George Russell called the spectacle “distracting” and Verstappen was also not a fan.
“Some people like to be more in the spotlight, and some people don’t,” said Verstappen. “Personally I don’t. So for me, what they did was not necessary.
“I prefer just to talk to my engineers, walk to my car, put the helmet on and drive. I understand the entertainment value, but I hope we don’t have this at every single race, because we have a very long season ahead of us, and we don’t need to enter like that every time.”
Fernando Alonso, who finished third behind Verstappen and Perez to claim his fourth podium this season, disagreed that the pre-race introductions should only be reserved for certain races.
The 41-year-old Spaniard said: “If we do it here, we have to do it everywhere because I don’t think the Miami fans are better than the Italian fans in Imola or in Spain or in Mexico or in Japan.”
However, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, whose arrival on the grid was greeted with huge cheers, said: “Formula One is trying new things and trying to improve the show and I am in full support of that.
“I grew up listening to LL Cool J, and LL Cool J was there. You look over and will.i.am is there, too, and he is an incredible artist. I thought it was cool.”
Max Verstappen hails ‘great win’ from ninth on grid after being booed in Miami
Max Verstappen hailed his victory at the Miami Grand Prix as “simply f****** lovely” after he beat Sergio Perez and the boo brigade to extend his world championship lead.
Verstappen was jeered before and after the race, as he celebrated a triumph that moves him 14 points clear of team-mate Perez, who finished second.
Fernando Alonso was third for Aston Martin. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and sixth for Mercedes.
Verstappen divides opinion in the sport and he was targeted by the Hard Rock Stadium crowd as he was presented on the grid ahead of the 57-lap race by rapper LL Cool J.
But the boos did not faze the double world champion as he raced from ninth on the grid to top spot to claim his third win from five rounds.
“Simply f****** lovely,” said Verstappen on the radio before he was also jeered on the podium as he collected his winner’s trophy.
Verstappen added: “It was a good race. I stayed out of trouble in the beginning. I had a good battle with Checo and we kept it clean and that was the most important thing. A great win today.
“Yesterday was a setback in qualifying but today we kept it calm and clean and winning a race from ninth is always very satisfying.”
Verstappen, who started on a different strategy to team-mate and pole-sitter Perez, was up to second on lap 15. He stopped for tyres with a dozen laps to go and then cruised into the lead by out-braking Perez at the opening corner on lap 48.
Perez said: “I gave it my all. The first stint was poor and that compromised my race.
“Max was particularly good today so a well-deserved win for him. We need to analyse what happened today because I didn’t have the pace.”
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