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New FIA president self-critical: 'Can't say it's that good'

New FIA president self-critical: 'Can't say it's that good'

18-12-2021 09:49 Last update: 12:16
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GPblog.com

The new president of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, will be busy right away. On Friday it was already announced that he will decide whether Lewis Hamilton will receive a penalty for not showing up at the FIA gala, but now he is also working to ease tensions between the FIA and Mercedes.

For 12 years Jean Todt has been the president, but Ben Sulayem has now taken the role. He moves into the job at a critical time, because controversy and protests are now playing a big role in the sport. Nevertheless, he is not afraid of this challenge.

One of the reasons the new president is so confident he will perform well in the role is his racing experience. He has won the Rally of Jordan 12 times, so he understands better than anyone what it is like to win or lose. He sees the tensions between Mercedes and the FIA and understands very well that Mercedes is upset at the moment. Nevertheless, the 60-year-old president is confident that everything will eventually work out. "Time is a factor, and thanks to this everything will get back to normal and the wounds will soften," he tells at Formulapassion.it.

'It's not good enough'

Meanwhile, the former rally driver also knows that there is still plenty to do. He is very aware of the tension surrounding the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, so he wants to make sure they have a solution for similar situations in the future. "There are so many areas where we can improve. We can't just sit back and say it's so good. No, it's not good enough."