Ben Sulayem was busy after Abu Dhabi 2021: 'I hate being reactive!'

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen went head to head for the Championship in the final round of the 2021 Formula One season. It has caused quite a lot of criticism towards the FIA. For Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who was elected FIA president on 17 December 2021 (five days after the famous Abu Dhabi Grand Prix), it was a busy period.

Because Verstappen overtook Hamilton on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Dutchman won the championship. This was after a safety car period came to an end. Was Verstappen really the rightful champion? Race director Michael Masi was relieved of his duties. 

Ben Sulayem had to step up to the plate after Abu Dhabi 2021

"I will never say that everything went well in this race [GP Abu Dhabi]. I always look at areas to improve," the FIA president explained in an interview with Motorsport-Magazin.com. "I thought to myself: wait a minute, let me first see what is going on. I just won the election. Let me enjoy that first!"

"Then we looked at the issue. I'll be honest: I hate being reactive," he revealed. "I always say: if you don't plan, you fail. Have a plan for everything! I was overwhelmed with problems. I wondered what was going on. We have a better structure with the strengthening of the department in the single-seaters, so there will be fewer problems. But drivers will always demand things," Ben Sulayem concluded.