Ben Sulayem open to F1 permanent managers – but asks who pays for them

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem supports the idea of ​​having permanent managers in Formula 1 – but says the real issue is who pays for them.

Debate over the decisions of some managers this year has led to complaints about a lack of continuity, and again questions are being raised about whether it is time for those executives to turn professional.

george russellwho is director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA), recently suggested that it was time to reconsider the current structure of a rotating system of volunteers.

“When things come down to interpretation, and when things are about consistency, you can argue that if you have the same managers from week to week, the consistency will be better because they interpret things in the same way. and that drivers understand exactly what to expect in any given situation,” he said.

“So I think, again it’s a personal view, not on the part of the drivers, but personal view, I think we’re at a point now in this sport where we need a full-time professional steward where they earn is a real salary.”

Ben Sulayem acknowledges that there would be benefits in having a permanent manager, but says the crux of the issue is where his salary comes from – as the extra expense is not something the FIA ​​itself can afford.

“It’s a great thing,” he told Autosport about the demand for change. “But when they say professional, and they want professional, they don’t want to pay for it. This is very clear.

“They talk and then say, ‘Where are you putting the money? Why don’t we do that?’

“But I don’t say, ‘Oh, sorry, what about you?’ The drivers are getting over $100 million. May I ask where they spend it? It’s up to them.

“So please, it’s not just me saying he had nothing to do with it. Whatever we do we do with our money. This is our business. It’s the same with them and their money. This is their business.

“But I really don’t understand sometimes. It’s always about the FIA. Why are we doing this? Why are we doing this? But did anyone go to FOM?”

Ben Sulayem further explained that some understanding is needed about how much investment is required to train managers.

“I say it again and again – managers don’t grow on trees,” he said. “It takes time to educate them. It takes time to train them. And then you develop them, so we have a program.”

“I see the point of having them like the Premier League where they (referees) are paid. But we don’t have money to do this.

“So we also have to be very careful about the path we are taking. As long as they are committed, fair, and properly trained, managers will come and go.”

The issue of funding for permanent managers is something that senior figures in the game acknowledge, and one team boss suggested perhaps it was time to rethink business realities.

“Ultimately, it is the FIA’s responsibility,” he said. “This is what the scope of work between the FOM and FIA looks like.

“So if the FOM is writing a cheque, which they are, to the FIA, but the scope of work says ‘part-time steward’ and F1 wants something different then that’s different, and it comes with a new price.

“That means F1, that is, the teams, should pay for it. So I think if that’s what we bought, and we want to change it, I think we have to pay for it.