Behind the scenes of tomorrow’s F1 season opener in the Albert Park Arena there’s more drama playing out than in any episode of the Real Housewives of Azerbaijan.
It’s not just the Mercedes and Ferrari flexi-wing scandals or Mad Max’s frustrations.
A far more existential crisis looms: the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, is embroiled in a credibility catastrophe. From alleged authoritarianism to financial opacity, the institution tasked with stewarding F1 into a new era is buckling under the weight of its own dysfunction.
The excreta hit the radiator fan a week ago when Motorsport UK boss David Richards publicly accused FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, (Benny to his mates) of eroding transparency and imposing draconian “confidentiality agreements” on council members. Richards, who supported Benny’s 2021 election campaign, sent a nasty letter to members, saying that he and FIA deputy president for sport Robert Reid were barred from a World Motor Sport Council meeting for refusing to sign a sweeping nondisclosure agreement,
Dave described the NDA as a “blanket gagging order”. It threatened fines of $90k for even breathing, with the FIA reserving the right to arbitrarily define violations. “This is not how a member-owned and driven organisation should behave,” Richards declared, accusing young Ben of centralising power and stifling dissent. The FIA’s response? Silence.
Despite legal challenges from Motorsport UK’s lawyers, the federation has yet to address Richards’ allegations – a troubling sign for an organisation that promised reform.
FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem. Picture: Getty Images
FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem. Picture: Getty Images
Motorsport UK’s David Richards.
Ben Sulayem campaigned in 2021 as a reformer, vowing to modernise the FIA by delegating day-to-day operations to a professional CEO and restoring accountability. Three years later, the whole thing looks like the Trumpy and Mad Musk show.
Key committees, including the audit and ethics panels, have been neutered, their autonomy stripped in favour of presidential oversight. Senior officials and volunteers have run out faster than green grass through a goose, with reports suggesting a toxic culture of fear and retaliation.
Richards highlighted the abrupt removal of the UK’s FIA representative and the chair of the audit committee after they questioned financial decisions. Ben Sulayem’s consolidation of power extends to the FIA’s election rules. In 2023, the federation quietly amended its statutes to bar anyone over 70 from running for president – a move widely seen as a bid to block soap dodger Richards, then a young 72, from challenging Ben Sulayem’s re-election and forgetting Bernie Ecclestone ran the show till he was 87. The rule change, buried in bureaucratic jargon, ensures the Benster faces no credible opposition in 2025.
A week ago, the FIA announced the Cadillac Formula 1 Team would be on the grid next year. The FIA’s handling of the Cadillac bid raised a few well-manicured eyebrows. The team allegedly secured entry with a $700m fee – well below the standard rate – amid rumours of backroom deals to appease US regulators investigating F1’s antitrust practices. No official explanation has been offered, fuelling suspicions of financial favouritism.
Cadillac has announced its intention to enter F1 from 2026.
The FIA’s regulatory failures extend to the track. Teams are locked in a cat-and-mouse game over flexible bodywork, with the governing body repeatedly outmanoeuvred by engineers. Last year, McLaren and Mercedes exploited loopholes in wing deflection tests, gaining speed advantages while passing static inspections.
At its core, the FIA’s crisis stems from a medieval-style patronage system. The Benster allegedly retains power by doling out titles, grants and favours to national clubs in exchange for loyalty. This quid-pro-quo governance discourages dissent and prioritises political survival over sporting integrity.
Richards’ letter laid it out straight: volunteer officials sidelined, committees stripped of authority, and a culture of fear permeating the federation. Even Honda’s bid to supply engines to a second team – a move that could bolster competition – is subject to murky approval processes. “Nothing happens without the president’s say-so,” a team principal said. “It’s suffocating.”
And former F1 driver Felipe Massa is suing F1 and the FIA for $120m. According to Phil’s lawyer, Bernardo Viana, the legal action comes “Based on the recently revealed conspiracy by Formula One Management and FIA, this lawsuit seeks recognition that FIA breached its own regulations and that Felipe should have been considered the 2008 F1 Champion”.
The FIA’s implosion coincides with a turbulent time for F1. As teams navigate the EV transition and grapple with cost caps, the sport needs strong, transparent leadership. Instead, it’s saddled with a governing body more focused on self-preservation than innovation.
For Benny, the track to redemption is narrow. Reforms demanded by Richards – restoring committee autonomy, scrapping gag orders, and ensuring fair elections – are essential. But with the president circling the wagons and critics silenced, meaningful change seems unlikely.
Without urgent reforms, the sport risks alienating fans, teams, and manufacturers. The question isn’t just whether Benny Sulayem can survive another term – it’s whether the FIA can survive itself.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump spruiking the virtues of a Tesla. Picture: Getty Images
The next question is what this all means for our governing body, Motorsport Australia, which has faced some similar criticisms? As one critic told us: “The wheel’s still spinning, but the hamster’s dead.”
Talking of Tesla, now that the Trumpster has bought one, you know the Mad Musk’s company is fudged. Three months ago, Tesla had a market cap of $2.2 trillion. This week its worth $1.2 trillion (which is still more than I make a month here in Surry Hills). Tesla is now so crook it makes disco look good. But despite being the Stud Muffin of Government Efficiency, MM is also the Governor of Government Generousness. He has pocketed $100bn in government support, investment and subsidies.
If you had some of MM’s $100bn you could have been in the running to buy Bernie Ecclestone’s $1bn, 69-car collection. Turns out Mark Mateschitz, 32, of Salzburg was the buyer. Mark is in the rich father business. Dad, Dietrich, founded the Red Bull fizzy drink company. Our friend Tom Hartley Jnr, of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, in SDL, told us directly via the psychic internet and his Only Fans page, that the $1bn sale was the largest single transaction ever recorded in used car history. Tommy’s commission would be bigger than Musky’s petrol bill.
Tommy says there were a few wood ducks with very deep pockets after the collection and two sovereign wealth funds. With your super in the toilet, I bet Albo told Greg Combet and the other bosses at the FF: “Boys, with Trumpy running the show, shares are stuffed, believe me, old cars are the next big thing”.
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