It’s nearly just like the quiet reign of former FIA president Jean Todt by no means occurred.
Since taking up as prez on the finish of 2021, Mohammed Ben Sulayem has appeared intent on bridging the hole to Max Mosley’s tenure, someway being much more contentious.
And my, isn’t he doing job of it?
Within the final two weeks alone, Ben Sulayem’s reign of ‘fired and fury’ has seen senior stewarding official Tim Mayer, deputy System 2 race director Janette Tan, F1 race director Niels Wittich and FIA compliance officer Paolo Basarri all eliminated. These are hardly the primary excessive profile departures beneath the present president, main Mayer to remark the governing physique was “working out of individuals to do these jobs”.
Then there’s how he responds to the request for extra readability and maturity from the FIA in its actions in direction of drivers:
“None of their enterprise. Sorry. With all respect, I’m a driver. I respect the drivers. Allow them to go and focus on what they do greatest, which is race,” he advised Autosport’s Jonathan Noble.
This comes on high of his earlier clod-hopping interventions, corresponding to when the previous rally driver additionally caught his nostril in by describing an alleged valuation of F1 as “inflated”; criticised drivers for making political statements; and made inflammatory feedback about ladies’s intelligence.
When requested if he apprehensive in regards to the criticism following the litany of controversies beneath him, Ben Sulayem mentioned: “No, huge time. No. I’ll let you know one thing, what’s taking place. I believe I reside freed from cost of their brains, huh… It’s condominium there, they provide me.”
Pretty, how skilled…
Going Down
Public relations enemy No1
Ben Sulayem would most likely caption this one “consuming the tears of F1 drivers” or one thing equally elegant
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Discuss PR catastrophe.
Even when what Ben Sulayem is justified in what he’s saying up to a degree, he might at the least do it with a little bit of grace. Of which he has none.
Then the FIA stewards managed to make the environment much more tense. They deemed Alex Albon’s stray wing mirror mendacity on the pit straight not critical sufficient particles to place a security automotive out for – till Valtteri Bottas smashed it into many items to present each Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz punctures as they ran it over.
A fairly good metaphor for the present mess.
The bell tolls?
Unhappy instances for Hamilton
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Second-place end one week for Hamilton (and looking out like he had the tempo to win) then nowhere the following.
Is the F1 nice now in his late section much like tennis titans Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, serving up aces one second then lacking straightforward winners the next level – with no reason?
Getting ripped by your personal crew boss
Perez tries to work out whether or not inexperienced means go or…
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“It regarded like he simply misjudged it, however when the sunshine goes out, you’re imagined to go,”
This was Christian Horner’s tackle why his beleaguered Pink Bull cost Sergio Perez appeared to neglect to place his foot down when ranging from the pitlane, that means he was overtaken by Franco Colapinto – additionally ranging from the pits.
Poor Checo, he appears to have simply mentally collapsed. Assume he wants an extra-long stint on a seashore in Mexico.
(Second) baptism of fireside
Sub-optimal final result there for Lawson
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A difficult weekend for Lawson.
The child’s making an attempt to show he’s robust sufficient for Pink Bull, however current type was summed up when he spun off after oversteering into the hapless Bottas.
Colapunto
Hero to zero for Colapinto
Powerful break for Franco Colapinto, who a number of races in the past was being talked up as a future Pink Bull driver, however now after trashing his Williams one too many instances is now taking a look at no race drive once more subsequent yr.
And it wasn’t even his fault when Nico Hülkenberg skittled each the Argentine and Esteban Ocon out of the race in a single go on the very first flip. You win some, you lose some, clearly.
Going Up
Zhou’s final stand
Sauber boys get a little bit of desert inspiration
Sauber
Kick Begin Retire Sauber One thing Or Different has had one of many worst seasons for a crew in current reminiscence, so it was heart-warming to see Zhou Guanyu safe eighth place, its first factors of the season.
Perhaps it was their cute little journey into the desert that gave the Swiss squad the inspiration it wanted.
True blue fightback
Gasly now main the Alpine cost
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The Gasly-Alpine mixture has abruptly lit on fireplace, scoring 19 factors within the final 4 races.
With type like that, he may be capable of single-handedly safe sixth place for Alpine within the constructors’ battle.
Arabian racing nights
Qatar: as Tilke desert-dromes go…
There may solely be one overtaking spot, however with nearly no sluggish corners, the Losail circuit is an exhilarating one to look at the present era of F1 vehicles on.
The chaotic race on the low-grip, bodily demanding circuit solely added to this argument.
Resurrection
Leclerc remains to be within the combat for second within the drivers’ championship battle, and Ferrari for runner-up within the constructors’
Ferrari
The 2024 constructors’ battle regarded useless within the water till Norris was given his draconian penalty for a double yellow flag dashing infringement, permitting the title combat to make a miraculous restoration.
The upshot was that Ferrari truly outscored McLaren after wanting properly overwhelmed for many of the race.
It would make for an thrilling finale at Yas Marina, the world’s most boring race observe (90-degree first nook anybody?). Don’t maintain your breath although.
Norris reacts to that penalty
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