'Ben Sulayem steps back from F1 and passes baton to Tombazis'

FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem has decided to release control of Formula 1, according to Daily Mail. The Daily Mail report that this is the case after letter was sent to team bosses on Monday.

As Jean Todt's successor, Ben Sulayem has faced a lot of criticism since his start. Among other things, he was visibly involved in negotiations with Red Bull Racing for exceeding the budget cap and it's reported that he is under pressure following his recent remarks around the price tag of Formula 1.

They also report that his place in office is under threat.

Ben Sulayem will remain chairman of the governing body, but will therefore let Nikolas Tombazis, as Single Seater Director, be the point of contact for the teams from now on. He himself intends to become more involved in the strategic affairs of the organisation in the coming years.

The director has already revealed during the elections that he wants a detached role so that he could keep more of an overview. Despite this, he was frequently seen at Grands Prix last season. That is likely to be different next racing year.