Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has expressed concern over the recent turmoil within the FIA, sarcastically suggesting that the governing body's internal affairs could be the subject of a reality TV show.
Wolff's comments come amidst a series of high-profile departures, including the dismissal of F1 race director Niels Wittich, and ongoing tensions between the FIA and F1 drivers.
The drivers' association, the GPDA, has called for greater transparency and accountability from the FIA, particularly regarding the allocation of fines.
However, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has dismissed the driver’s concerns and grievances, asserting that the inner workings of the governing body are "none of their business”.
“I mean generally, if you look at it in a positive way, it could have its own reality show with what's happening at the moment,” commented Wolff, quoted by Motorsport.com.
“I think all of our stakeholders need to bear in mind that we need to protect this holy grail of a sport that it is, and do it with responsibility and accountability and transparency. And it doesn't come across like that.
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“So I can't look into the organisation. I understand what we [the teams] are doing in trying to keep that together. But it's good that the drivers are united in this bigger picture, like they've shown.
“Teams very much have an understanding of what we believe is right or wrong. And so everybody just needs to look in the mirror and say: 'am I contributing the best to this sport, or not?'"
Despite Ben Sulayem’s claim that he answers to no one, Wolff agreed that the president is free to make internal changes as he sees fit. However, the Mercedes chief emphasized that these decisions should lead to better governance and improved regulations.
“I think he can fire as many people as he wants; as [it's] his organisation, he's the president,” added Wolff. “That's not something that anybody [else] has an involvement.
“Where it becomes important for the drivers and for all of us is: 'does it make the decision-making process better? Does it make the regs better? Is the sport improving because of these changes in the organisation, in personnel?'
“If the answer to all of this is yes, it's doing that, then this is an internal matter that he has to handle.”
But Wolff warned that the ongoing negativity and the FIA’s internal strife could harm the sport’s reputation.
“But obviously, what's in the news and the potential spillover in terms of negativity and reputation, that is something that is bad for all of us,” he said.
“And this is also what I meant; all of us are in this sport and all of the stakeholders; the media, the FIA, the drivers, the teams, Liberty, Stefano [Domenicali] running it, I think we, in times when there is so much polarisation, so much conflict, the rationality needs to win.
“And for me, it doesn't look that way at the moment.”
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