Newly-elected FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem says Lewis Hamilton can expect a sanction if he is found guilty of breaking Formula 1’s Sporting Regulations by not attending the annual Gala.
Article 6.6 of Formula 1’s Sporting Regulations outlines that the top three finishers in the championship must attend the prize-giving ceremony hosted by the FIA.
But Hamilton, along with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, opted out of attending Thursday’s event in Paris in the aftermath of Sunday’s controversial season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Outgoing Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas was present to collect his third-placed trophy, though missed the press conference due to a flight delay, while James Allison picked up the Constructors’ trophy.
Hamilton has been in Britain this week, collecting his knighthood in Windsor on Wednesday, while today (Friday) he was part of Mercedes’ Constructors’ title celebrations at its Brixworth and Brackley facilities.
Ben Sulayem succeeded Jean Todt as FIA President on Friday and in his first press conference in his new role outlined that the matter will be evaluated.
“First of all, as a driver, I feel emotional but at the end of the day rules are rules, so we are going to look into the side where the technical rules are there to be employed,” he said.
“Was he in breach? I have to look into it.
“We have to be following our rules, but in the meanwhile it doesn’t stop us from making a champion feel good about the sport; it’s easy to be nice to people, it’s cheap to be nice, and also to motivate people, but if there is any breach there is no forgiveness in this.”
Ben Sulayem later clarified that “no forgiveness” comment as he expanded on the situation and conceded rules could be clearer going forward.
“What I meant by breach of the rules: there are rules, forgiveness is always there, but rules are rules,” he said.
“I always say rules; humans made them, they are not the Bible or any holy book, they can be improved and changed by humans, rules are there to be improved.
“So, actually, I know that Lewis is really sad about what happened and in one word I would say is he is broken.
“But we have to look if there was any breach, I cannot just – a few hours now as a President – just start giving answers without going back to the facts.”
The position of Race Director Michael Masi has been under scrutiny from the outside but Ben Sulayem outlined that he does not want to “jump” into any decisions without thorough investigations.
“We’ll have to actually look into the matter, I’m just newly elected, I will look into the matter,” said Ben Sulayem, who will relinquish roles with other organisations to be fully focused on the FIA Presidency.
“Tomorrow I have a meeting with the staff, tomorrow I’ll look into every single matter that can improve the FIA or if there’s an issue about it, but I definitely wouldn’t do just jump into conclusions or decisions without going back to my team.”
It’s a shame the FIA didn’t follow their own rules on Sunday…
Rules were broken on Sunday
New president already back peddling after sticking his foot in his mouth already
The Silver Arrows had many decisions go their way this season. The final race didn’t go in Mercs favour; get over it. As a fan, finishing the final race the way it did, not behind the safety car, with the top 2 drivers tied in points was the right decision. Red Bull took a gamble and it worked for them. Hail to the new champ.
Same tripe I’ve heard elsewhere, if roles were reversed you’d hear the whining all the way to the moon
Even as a brit, I wasn’t bothered who won the title, they are both amazing drivers but this season has been dominated by inconsistent applications of the rules. If you make a rule, stick to it and enforce it in a consistent way, else get rid of it altogether. I think it’s reasonable to say that Max’s aggressive driving has exposed flaws in how races are policed. (like they had to introduce a rule a couple of years ago to stop weaving in the in braking zone).
It’s unclear to me if the rules were correctly applied at the end of the race as they seem to have some rules that trump other rules WRT the safely car. It sure made for a far more exiting finish than ending under the safety car (which no one wants to see) but it does kind of feel like the sport is being turned into a Netflix soap opera.
Well done Max. I’m sure with this 1st title under his belt, he will be even more awesome next year.
Meanwhile, the FIA need to have a hard think about the regs over the winter, especially WRT going straight on at a corner to block your opponent and force them off track.
The rules were “Bent” to accommodate Red Bull & Verstappen’s win. If the FIA wanted a fair fight to the line they would have red flagged the race allowed all cars to put fresh tyres on & restarted the race after the track had been cleared & made safe for racing. To allow “some cars” to pass the safety car & not others was bending the rules. Who benefited from this? Only 1 car, the car being driven by Max Verstappen. Red Bull’s team principal Christian Horner pleading with the Race Director “we only need 1 lap”. Well if the rules had been followed to allow all lapped cars to un-lap the race would have finished behind the safety car, if the race director’s earlier decision to not allow any lapped cars to un-lap then there would have been 5 cars between Max & Lewis for Max to pass before attempting to catch & pass Lewis again probably resulting in a win to Lewis. The safety car normally does a final lap before the track goes green this didn’t happen again advantaging Max & Red Bull.
The finish was a “FARCE” it reeked of “Corruption” to end Lewis Hamilton’s chance to secure a record breaking 8th WDC & become the greatest winner ever in F1.
The race director could have within the rules declared the race after the accident as more than 75% of the race had been completed & yes Lewis Hamilton would have been the winner. Remember Belgium & Spa a farcical 3 lap dash behind the safety car before the race was red flagged then later declared giving the top 10 qualifiers half points & Max the win for following the safety car for 3 laps in the rain.
Max has the trophy but he is the “Chumpion” a manufactured winner all to prevent Lewis from winning a record 8th World Drivers Championship.
I supported MB decision along with Hamilton’s not to attend. Penalise Hamilton, how with a fine of 100K euros big deal for someone who earns in excess of 40 million euros a year. Give him a race ban & you will be punishing fans all over the world as the only one’s cheering would be wearing orange.
BTW, I don’t support or follow either team or driver, Danny Ric is the man.
Well said
What happened during the season with what went who’s way is irrelevant. It doesn’t excuse or justify the absolute disgrace of Abu Dhabi where the Race Director can suddenly change the Safety Car protocols on a whim in order to engineer that scenario.
Rules come before entertainment. Always.
It was not the right decision, rules need to be followed. Now we have a new fake champion. Manufactured.
The fastest car does not always win one particular event. Mercedes did not react and/or anticipate a late race pace car as happens regularly in most other forms of motorsport where the lead car is actually at a disadvantage. Mercedes have” owned it” for years and it didn’t go their way this time. All their protests, no show at the awards ceremony, complaining etc got old very quickly and demonstrate a lack of character and sportsmanship. It was ok when Lewis took out Max at the British GP. Lewis had 5 seconds added to a pit stop which, given Lewis’ performance in that car, they might as well have fined him 20 dollars. Max’s car and engine were destroyed resulting in a grid penalty and Lewis got maximum points. Was very surprised when Max wasn’t injured. I applaud Mr. Masi for letting them race and not end the season behind a pace car. The better driver/team won. I do hope Jackie Stewart and his wife are well. His last GP was my first.
10 seconds moron
Ooh, ten seconds, for ramming an opponent into a 51G crash which sent him to hospital. That made all the fucking difference.
He’ll be sent back to Saudi Arabia for a proper beheading.
How FIA of the new president!!! The FIArace director totally f*cast up the best F1 season in history by breaking not one but 3 or 4 FIA rules to gift the drivers championship to one of the least professional drivers in F1 history then wants to punish the F1 GOAT for not attending a farcical presentation of the trophy to an undeserving champion.
The FIA has become a total joke with this farce that Masi perpetrated!!!!
FIA President from a country that has human rights issues. Turn a blind eye to that. His “democratic” vote to elect him as FIA president…lol. Yeah, right. Very representative of F1 racing and all its fans. What a joke. Jean Todt played a good hand. Get out whilst the ship is sinking. If Ben, or let’s just call him by his actual name, Mohammed, needs “time to look into the facts” you know that is BS. Step 1: Fire Masi (also check his bank account for Austrian deposits). Step2: Straighten the rules. Step 3: On every track during the entire season draw a red line outside which if cars cut they get an automatic penalty, [unless pushed off by Max]. Step 4: Call the season 2021 null and void as the season was equal going into Abu Dhabi and Masi screwed it up. No one should get the trophy.
Newly-elected FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem is a front man for Bernie Ecclestone who backed him for president and Eccelstone´s Fabiana Flosi, , is even part of Ben Sulayem´s FIA team for motor sport in South America. Was Eccelstone behind the dodgy stunts pulled last Sunday in Abu Dhabi? He did say before the race that he was surprised Hamilton wanted to break Michael Schumachers record?
Fabiana Flosi is Ecclestone´s wife.
I hope so.
I don’t support WWF wrestling and certainly will not be supporting WWF car racing which is what F1 has become.
I love how all of the “liberal” dolt hypocrites all over the internet are making legit racist comments about Mohammed bin Sulayem (who they know nothing about other than where he is from), spouting off about human rights this and that (which they also know nothing about other than what the CIA/MI6/MOSSAD-controlled “news” tells these sub-80 IQ creatures to think), yet they back someone like Lewis Hamilton who openly supports a black supremacist terrorist organization that have murdered thousands of people over the past few years, rendered many disabled, penniless and homeless; and is openly calling for the elimination of another race. But by all means let’s attack bin Sulayem for becoming president and not being a midget cuck like Jean Todt.
Aren’t you being equally offensive by calling folks you’ve never met “sub 80 IQ”? Seems a little juvenille.
Ying the clown. BLM a black supremacist group? If they were you should be the first to take out and any like you you racist POS. Your mom probably tasted dark sausages . Ask her and see a big smile come to her face
Dear Dumbass new FIA President,
Perhaps Sir Hamilton should not have stopped Toto in taking the FIA to court, embarassed you and shown ‘no forgiveness’.
Know your place boy.
Yours sincerely,
literally every non-max fan.
Oh no. Theyre gonna fine Lewis. How will he ever live with himself? Lol
Multimillionaires dont care about fines.
All you whiny lewuss hamiltub fanboys need to stop crying. Schumacher won a race in the pits. Hamilton wouldn’t have won without crashgate. Just stop. Verstappen may be aggressive but at least you know what you’re getting. You don’t want max up the inside? Don’t leave room, defend. Hamiltub is dirty and shifty about it, ask albon or many others. Add to that the temerity of lewis to show up as a guest in another country talk shit about how he is uncomfortable racing there but still collected his pile of money. Lewis hamilton thinks getting paid is more important than human rights. Phony scummy human.
What aer you talking about? People are upset with the FIA and Masi for making up their own rules. We’re not upset about what Lewis or Max did. Get a grip bud.
Wash your sore infested mouth out when speaking about the F1 GOAT. Done more charity work than when your mom married your dad.
Jealous of his good genes?
I believe Entitled is not the correct attitude to take in F1. Merc could have pitted for tires just like RBull.