On track Formula One was an almost prosaic affair in 2023. Max Verstappen’s canter to the title was as assured and dominant as any the sport has seen. Yet after the final chequered flag had fallen behind the scenes there were further indications of seething disquiet, a distrust and conflict at the very heart of the sport.
Two days before Christmas, it was revealed that Steve Nielsen, the sporting director of F1’s governing body, the FIA, had resigned after being in the post for less than a year. Appointed in January, he had been brought in to address what were seen as failings in the FIA’s management of race control, not least after the controversy over the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that had so angered Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team.
Nielsen had been warmly welcomed. He was experienced and well-respected, with spells at Lotus, Tyrell, Williams and Benetton and latterly with F1’s owner, Formula One Management (FOM).
His appointment was touted as part of the plan by the FIA president, Mohammed ben Sulayem, to restructure and improve the governing body’s regulation of F1. It has been reported Nielsen felt frustrated that the FIA would not address the changes he believed were necessary and was unhappy with its direction.
His premature exit comes after a catalogue of turmoil that has embroiled Ben Sulayem and FIA this year and put it at odds with the commercial rights holder, FOM, and, at times, the teams.
Two weeks before Nielsen resigned, the head of the FIA’s commission for women, Deborah Mayer, quit. Both departures were preceded by what had already had been an embarrassing end to the year for the FIA. It had caused consternation by launching a conflict of interest investigation into the Mercedes principal, Toto Wolff, and his wife, Susie, who runs the sport’s all-female series, the F1 Academy.
It came to nothing. Mercedes condemned the investigation as did Susie Wolff, who called it “insulting”. FOM warned against “making imprudent and serious allegations without substance”. A day later, each of the other nine teams issued a near identical statement confirming they had made no complaints about information being passed between the Wolffs.
The FIA promptly performed a volte-face and announced there was no case to answer but did not give their reasons for opening the inquiry. There may yet be ramifications as it remains in the hands of lawyers representing Mercedes and Wolff.
The Observer understands that FOM was extremely concerned that the reputation of the sport was being besmirched on the basis of little or no apparent evidence and what has been an increasingly fractious relationship with the FIA was further strained.
FOM’s trust and confidence in the FIA has been repeatedly damaged while in Ben Sulayem’s hands. There was conflict with Hamilton over the driver wearing jewellery while racing; an objection to the expansion of sprint races; and then a clampdown on drivers expressing their opinions on social and political issues that was met with condemnation and swiftly had to be clarified to explain that it referred only to areas already regulated by the FIA, such as the podium. A clumsy attempt to break a butterfly on a wheel.
More followed when Ben Sulayem openly questioned the sport’s commercial value, to which FOM reacted strongly, warning he had interfered with its rights in an “unacceptable” fashion. In April, he faced accusations of not taking sexism within the FIA seriously, which the governing body strenuously denied. However, those claims followed quotes made on his old website more than 20 years ago becoming public in which he apparently stated he did “not like women who think they are smarter than men … for they are not, in truth”.
Ben Sulayem denied misogyny and the FIA responded by stating his remarks “do not reflect the FIA president’s beliefs” and pointed to his “strong record on promoting women and equality in sport”. Still, at the time one insider said: “He is, sadly, an open and running joke in the paddock.”
The events of the final weeks of 2023 will not have altered that perception. The FIA has yet to make a statement on Nielsen or provide an explanation about its investigation into the Wolffs.
Transparency and trust are lacking, but needless antagonism appears to be the order of the day. In late November, Ben Sulayem said he would happily bring Michael Masi, the 2021 Abu Dhabi race director, back to the FIA should circumstances require it. Masi was responsible for the decisions that almost certainly cost Hamilton the title and were described by the FIA’s own investigation as “good faith” human error. Mercedes, Wolff and many fans were furious at the time and still hold Masi responsible.
The incidents raise questions over whether the FIA is fit for purpose under the current leadership or if the governing body is simply lurching from pillar to post. The situation cannot be ignored. Relations between the FIA and F1 are already creaking and every additional furore ratchets up the tension. Further dissatisfaction with the FIA in the new year will fan the flames of a burgeoning political fire.
