FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem denies ‘reign of terror' claim from rival
Ben Sulayem's controversial first term as head of the FIA will come to an end in December. The 63-year-old has confirmed he will stand for a second term and is poised to face off against Tim Mayer after the American announced his candidacy in the buildup to Sunday's British Grand Prix.
A number of high-profile figures have left the FIA under Ben Sulayem's stewardship. His deputy, Robert Reid, the former rally co-driver, resigned from his post earlier this year. Ben Sulayem has also had multiple run-ins with Formula One and the sport's biggest stars, notably Lewis Hamilton over the wearing of jewellery in the cockpit, and Max Verstappen on swearing.
Launching his bid to run against Ben Sulayem, Mayer, who was sacked as chair of the FIA stewards in November, took aim at the Emirati's controversial leadership, describing it as 'a failure' and an 'illusion of integrity'. He also accused Ben Sulayem of marginalising women and rushing through statute amendments to enhance his power.
In response, Ben Sulayem said: 'I feel for people [who] say this. They are disconnected from the FIA. He [Mayer] has worked as a steward. A steward doesn't mean you're an insider of the FIA. You're not staff. I have other things to do. I am really busy. I am not going to fall into this way of campaigning where I answer someone. He is free to say whatever he wants.
'But the FIA is bigger than me, bigger than anyone. It's not about the media. One thing is very clear. It is the members who vote. It's not anyone who is here to have a vote. It's them. If they decide they want me, or they want X, Y, Z, it's up to them. And I know that whatever I've been doing is good for the members. I've been very straight with them.
'Let's wait for the general assembly and let's see if they will get me out, then. They have the power to get me out. It's about the members. And when I see them smiling. Maybe, I don't know, maybe they're smiling, truly or not, but it's their decision.'
Ben Sulayem initially clashed with F1 and the grid's 10 teams over the introduction of an 11th outfit. However, Cadillac – a division of American motoring giant General Motors and supported by TWG Motorsport – will be on the grid next season.
Sign up to The Recap
The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action
after newsletter promotion
Ben Sulayem said talks are ongoing with a Chinese manufacturer about the possibility of a 12th F1 entry. 'I still feel that we need more teams than more races. If there is a Chinese [bid] and I will speak on behalf of Formula One management now. Think of the long term. If there is another team from China, they will approve it 100% because it is good for business. Wouldn't it make more money with China coming in? I believe, yes. Do we have to fill up another team for the sake of filling up that 12th team. No, it will be the right team.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
26 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Britain loses another industry after Starmer refuses to step in
Britain's largest bioethanol plant faces closure after Sir Keir Starmer refused to step in and save the industry. On Friday, the Government announced it would not give any funding to the Vivergo Fuels business in Hull, which is losing £3m a month. Around 150 workers are expected to lose their jobs at the factory, which is expected to close by Sept 13 and is one of only two domestic bioethanol production sites. The industry had hoped for a bailout after Sir Keir Starmer's trade deal with Donald Trump, which will allow the US to supply Britain with 1.4bn litres of duty free ethanol. But on Friday afternoon, a government spokesman said: 'This Government will always take decisions in the national interest. 'That's why we negotiated a landmark deal with the US which protected hundreds of thousands of jobs in sectors like auto and aerospace.' It said it had worked to understand the challenges faced by both Vivergo and the Ensus bioethanol plant in Redcar on Teesside, which has also been refused a bailout. But the spokesman said the Government would not offer any direct funding 'as it would not provide value for the taxpayer or solve the long-term problems the industry faces'. They continued: 'We recognise this is a difficult time for the workers and their families and we will work with trade unions, local partners and the companies to support them through this process. 'We also continue to work up proposals that ensure the resilience of our CO2 supply in the long term in consultation with the sector.' Unite, Labour's biggest trade union backer, heavily criticised the Government for refusing to bail out the bioethanol industry. Sharon Graham, general secretary, said: 'This is a short-sighted decision that totally disregards the benefits the domestic bioethanol sector will bring to jobs and energy security. 'Once again, the Government's total lack of a plan to support oil and gas workers as the industry transitions is glaring.' The union noted that bioethanol was a key component of sustainable aviation fuel, which is expected to be in huge demand in the coming years. The closure of the Vivergo plant will also represent a fresh blow to thousands of British farmers who supply grain to the site. A record number of farms are already closing for good after Rachel Reeves's changes to agricultural property relief made the future of thousands of rural businesses unviable. As well as the collapse of a major domestic market, the closure will risk pushing previously profitable farms into making a loss. A spokesman for Associated British Foods (ABF), the owner of Vivergo, said: 'It is deeply regrettable that the Government has chosen not to support a key national asset. 'We have been fighting for months to keep this plant open. We initiated and led talks with the Government in good faith. 'We presented a clear plan to restore Vivergo to profitability within two years under policy levers already aligned with the Government's own green industrial strategy.' ABF accused the Government of having 'thrown away billions in potential growth' and the chance to lead the world in bioethanol. 'The loss of Vivergo will be felt most acutely by our dedicated workforce and their families and by the thousands whose livelihoods depend on our supply chain, from farmers to hauliers and engineers.' During its talks with Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, ABF had demanded ministers step in to cover 'short-term funding of Vivergo's losses' as well as striking a longer-term deal to put its plant on a profitable footing again. Investment from Vivergo is thought to support around 1,220 farming jobs across the north-east of England. The UK imports around 45 per cent of its CO2 and sources have previously warned of a supply crisis without a domestic bioethanol industry if foreign sources were disrupted. In June, The Telegraph revealed a leaked memo by industry leaders that said the bioethanol sector was a 'critical component' of British food security and energy resilience. The memo warned: 'The closure of Vivergo would damage farm incomes, increase import dependency and undermine the Government's strategic goals across multiple departments.'
Reuters
26 minutes ago
- Reuters
Britain will not bail out bioethanol industry hit by Trump trade deal
LONDON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Britain's government will not provide financial support to the struggling bioethanol industry, it said on Friday, leaving a sector hit hard by the UK's tariff deal with U.S. President Donald Trump facing imminent collapse. The failure of the industry, which supports thousands of jobs, could prove to be an embarrassment for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who hailed May's trade deal as a boost to businesses that would protect employment and attract investment. It would also serve as a stark example of the global impacts of Trump's assault on world trade, with the industry's collapse set to deal a blow to production of byproducts including animal feed and carbon dioxide as well as the British farmers who supply the sector. "We ... have taken the difficult decision not to offer direct funding as it would not provide value for the taxpayer or solve the long-term problems the industry faces," a government spokesman said on Friday. The spokesperson said the trade deal had protected hundreds of thousands of jobs in the auto and aerospace industries. However, under the agreement, the UK's 19% tariffs on U.S. ethanol fell to zero, through a 1.4 billion-litre (370 million gallon) quota - a figure equating to the size of the UK's entire ethanol market. Britain has two major bioethanol plants in northern England - Associated British Foods' (ABF.L), opens new tab Vivergo plant and one operated by Ensus, owned by Germany's Sudzucker Group - which account for nearly all of its production capacity. AB Foods, which had said in June it would shutter the Vivergo plant unless the government stepped in with an aid package, said on Friday it would start an orderly closure process immediately with production of bioethanol and animal feed ceasing by August 31. Ensus has also said its plant faces closure. Bioethanol is produced from crops such as wheat and is used to make petrol greener and to produce sustainable aviation fuel. In June, Starmer's government launched its industrial strategy, promising to invest in the green economy. Both AB Foods and Ensus have said the trade deal, along with existing regulations that already gave U.S. producers an advantage in the British market, had made the environment impossible. "It is deeply regrettable that the Government has chosen not to support a key national asset," a spokesperson for AB Foods said, adding that the decision threw away Britain's sovereign capability in clean fuels. "Jobs in clean energy will now move overseas - principally to the U.S. but also to other countries with a more sensible regulatory environment," the spokesperson added. Ensus did not respond immediately to a request for comment. The government spokesperson said it would work up proposals that ensure the resilience of the supply of carbon dioxide, which is used in the soft drinks and nuclear industries and in hospitals.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Hillary Clinton says she'd nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize if he helps broker a deal to end Ukraine war
Hillary Clinton said on Friday she would nominate President Donald Trump for his long-awaited Nobel Peace Prize if he could broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine that did not 'capitulate' to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Clinton, the former secretary of state who once ran a campaign against Trump, issued her bold declaration on the Raging Moderates podcast to incentivize the president not to give in to the Russian president's demands. 'I understand, from everything I read, that he would very much like to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, ' Clinton told co-host Jessica Tarlov. 'If he could end it, without putting Ukraine in a position where it had to concede its territory to the aggressor, had to, in a way, validate Putin's vision of greater Russia, but instead could really stand up to Putin…. I'd nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize.' Clinton said the president has an opportunity to be the 'architect' of a peace deal that would not give Putin any of Ukraine's territory or allow Russian troops to remain in areas it has already seized. 'If we could pull that off, if President Trump were the architect of that, I'd nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize because my goal here is to not allow capitulation to Putin, aided and abetted by the United States,' Clinton added. Clinton's comments arise as Trump is set to meet with Putin in Alaska, presumably to discuss peace deal negotiations to end the war that Russia began in Ukraine three and a half years ago. Trump has long sought to broker a deal between the two countries, even making it a campaign promise. However, he's struggled to get Russia to meaningfully engage in peace talks and has hit several bumps with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
