FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has pushed back against Formula 1 drivers' complaints about his leadership, while Max Verstappen reportedly held a "mature" meeting with the governing body chief.
The Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) recently sent a letter to the FIA, questioning penalties for swearing and demanding transparency about how financial penalties are spent. Many drivers have expressed frustration that the FIA has yet to respond, adding concerns over a recent exodus of top FIA officials.
In response, Ben Sulayem insisted that the FIA's decisions are not the drivers' concern.
"They should concentrate on what they do best—driving," he told Diario Sport and other publications. "The decisions of the FIA are not their business."
Addressing the drivers' calls for more transparency about FIA operations, he added: "Why do we have to tell them? If something changes with the teams, do they inform us? No, they do not. We have our own rules that we follow."
Ben Sulayem rejected claims of a "crisis" within the FIA, suggesting the narrative is being pushed by certain groups.
"This is being talked up from the paddock and by the British press," he said. "With all due respect, why do I have to answer everything to the media? I have a responsibility to the FIA members and the sport. The media is fine, but they have no voting rights in the FIA."
On the topic of financial penalties, the FIA president dismissed the drivers' demand for details.
"They can ask, but the drivers are paid millions—and do I ask them how they spend it? No, it's their business," Ben Sulayem said. "Do you really think I would waste this money? This is the members' money, and I was elected to look after it."
Meanwhile, De Telegraaf reported that Max Verstappen, recently penalized for using the F-word during an FIA press conference, met with Ben Sulayem during the Qatar GP weekend.
Sources close to the quadruple world champion described the conversation as a "good and mature" exchange, aimed at clearing the air between Verstappen and the FIA leadership.
