F1 team bosses urge transparency from FIA amid controversies

MELBOURNE, Australia — As a dark cloud continues to hang over Formula 1 in the form of various controversies, team bosses have called for greater transparency from the FIA.

Motorsport's governing body has come under fire in recent weeks, with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton telling reporters on Thursday that FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem had “never” had its support.

The president was recently cleared in an internal investigation into a whistleblower allegation, which included interference in last year's Saudi Grand Prix race.

F1 Academy boss Susie Wolff has also taken legal action against the federation over its investigation into an allegation of a conflict of interest between her and her husband, Toto, who is Mercedes F1 team boss.

The start of the F1 season has been overshadowed by the ongoing controversy surrounding Red Bull boss Christian Horner, who was cleared in early March.

The team employee who accused Horner of inappropriate behavior has since been suspended.

Regarding these various news, McLaren boss Zak Brown said on Friday: “All the elements that have been revealed here recently are very serious situations. I think we live in 2024 and not in 1984, which which means total transparency.”

“I think all three situations are different but all very serious and I think we need to make sure that things are done transparently and truly independently. I think everyone should welcome transparency.

“I know everyone would like these different topics to allow us to return to motorsport, but I think until all the unanswered questions are answered, people will continue to ask questions.

Transparency has become the hottest topic in F1 this year.

Red Bull has been under pressure to release more information about Horner's case, although the racing team's hands are somewhat tied by the fact that the investigation was led by parent company Red Bull GmbH.

The BBC reported that the suspended employee had asked the FIA ​​to look into the matter.

The FIA ​​also refused to reveal the reasons why the whistleblowers' allegations against Ben Sulayem were dismissed. The independent case on Ben Sulayem included interviews with 11 witnesses.

The FIA ​​president had been accused of pressuring race stewards to overturn a 10-second penalty at last year's Saudi Grand Prix, which cost Fernando Alonso a 'Aston Martin a place on the podium.

The whistleblower in the case also claimed that Ben Sulayem tried to prevent the Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit from being certified before its November debut.

“I don't think it's a good situation that we're in, that we're three races into the schedule and we're still talking about these issues,” Brown continued Friday. “The level of transparency has not been achieved and we must ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to express themselves.

“And, you know, we kind of know what you know in terms of what we're reading and these calls etc. So I think it's important that the FIA, as a governing body, addresses this question quickly, transparently and comes to the right conclusions, whatever those questions may be.”

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur also called for greater transparency, but perhaps went against the prevailing sentiment around F1 when he suggested that only the media – not people in the sport or his global fans – care about the stories.

“Honestly, the fans don’t ask me any questions about it,” Vasseur said. “Fans talk about oversteer, understeer, competition.

“I think it's more about the press and so to speak about these cases. I've never had a fan or a guest ask me about the trial. And so I think that At some point, perhaps, we must concentrate on our business.”

A unique insight was also given on Friday by Peter Bayer, the new CEO of Red Bull's RB junior team.

Bayer joined RB after a long stint at the FIA, most recently as executive director of F1.

Bayer stressed that while transparency is important, it can be tricky in cases like the one involving Ben Sulayem, which rely on whistleblowers coming forward under the promise of anonymity.

“They are very different cases,” Bayer said. “And having been at the FIA ​​for a few years, you know, and being responsible for the motorsport side of the motorsport regulator and legislator, I think they are certainly capable because there are elected officials who have roles .”

“There is an independent ethics committee. Since I was there, we created a compliance officer, whistleblower hotlines and other things. And I think that “One thing we're seeing is that the sport has grown massively in a very short period of time. And a lot of people are asking for transparency.

“I guess we will have to try to understand where we can have transparency, because when it comes to individual topics or complaints coming from a whistleblower line, you have to make sure that there is a guarantee and absolute protection for people who blow the whistle.

“I think when it comes to employment contracts, those are — I don't think anywhere on the planet — they're not supposed to be shared with anyone. So it's difficult. But I think, you know, as a sport we need to learn and grow through these processes and hopefully be able to come back and focus on racing.”

The F1 season continues with the Australian Grand Prix on March 24.