by Hamilton and Vettel promise to continue talking about the problems
Under fire FIA ​​President Mohammed ben Sulayem conceded day-to-day control of Formula 1.
The 61-year-old Emirati’s shocking decision comes after a string of controversial weeks at the helm of world motorsport, including the threat of legal action from Formula 1 and the exposure of historic sexist remarks on his now-defunct personal website.
Elsewhere, Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali insists the sport will “never gag anyone” after the FIA’s off-season crackdown on drivers making political statements.
An update to the FIA’s International Sporting Code means drivers will breach the regulation if they make political statements ‘without prior approval’, but Domenicali – head of F1, not the FIA ​​- has spoken out against it, saying: ‘Everyone wants to talk so have the platform to say what they want in the right way the better. We have a great opportunity thanks to the position of our sport which is increasingly global, multicultural and multivalued”.
Follow all the latest news from the world of Formula 1 with The independent
F1 News: When will other F1 teams launch their 2023 cars?
The 2023 Formula 1 season kicks off on 5 March in Bahrain and preparations are well underway ahead of the new season.
All 10 teams have had more than two months since their last race of 2022 in Abu Dhabi and are set to reveal their new cars in the coming weeks, with pre-season testing taking place at the Bahrain International Circuit from 23 to 25 February.
Here are the car’s 2023 launch dates in chronological order:
AlfaTauri – Saturday, February 11 (livery launch, New York)
Aston Martin – Monday 13 February (Silverstone)
McLaren – Monday 13 February (location to be confirmed)
Ferrari – Tuesday 14 February (location to be confirmed)
Mercedes – Wednesday 15 February (Silverstone)
Alpine – Thursday 16 February (London)
Kieran JacksonFebruary 9, 2023 10:59
F1 News: FIA boss relinquishes control of F1 operations after spate of disputes
Under fire FIA ​​President Mohammed ben Sulayem conceded day-to-day control of Formula 1.
The 61-year-old Emirati’s shocking decision comes after a string of controversial weeks at the helm of world motorsport, including the threat of legal action from Formula 1 and the exposure of historic sexist remarks on his now-defunct personal website.
The FIA, which governs F1, insists Ben Sulayem’s move has been in the works for some time and follows a restructuring of the organization after he took over the presidency from Jean Todt in December 2021.
But his revelation in a letter to the sport’s team bosses and F1 bosses on Monday that FIA director of single-seater racing Nikolas Tombazis should now be their main contact has sent ripples around the grid with the new season less than a month away. of distance.
Sulayem, who remains head of the FIA, took center stage in F1 last season, sitting down with drivers in the moments before races and handing out trophies at numerous Grands Prix.
More recently, he has used his social media platforms to broach the thorny topic of new teams in F1.
However, in an excerpt from Ben Sulayem’s letter, the former rally driver wrote: “My stated goal was to be a non-executive chairman through the recruitment of a professional management team, which has now largely been completed.
“Therefore, going forward, your day-to-day contact for all matters related to F1 will be with Nikolas and his team, while I will concentrate on strategic matters with my management team.”
(Getty Images)
Kieran JacksonFebruary 9, 2023 10:36
