FIA President Ben Sulayem: 'They think we're against the British' - F1 stewards debate escalates

In a statement that shook the Formula 1 community, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem flatly denied allegations of bias in officiating, while acknowledging that both Argentina and Britain believe the FIA is against them. The incident stems from drive-through penalties given to Franco Colapinto (Alpine) and Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) at the Dutch Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen suffered a heavy crash on the first lap. Speaking at the FIA American Congress in Buenos Aires, Ben Sulayem revealed that he had received complaints from both countries. 'Some Argentines think we are against them. Some British people also think so. But the truth is we are not against anyone,' he said. 'The stewards are just doing their job based on the rules. We will improve the system.' The controversial penalties: Colapinto and Lindblad were penalized for overtaking under yellow flags after Verstappen hit the wall at Zandvoort. Both drivers expressed dissatisfaction, arguing that the decision was too harsh. However, the FIA insists that video evidence and telemetry show they violated yellow-flag regulations. The incident quickly sparked a wave of criticism on social media, especially from Argentine fans who see Colapinto as a new hope for their country's motorsport. A sponsor executive for Colapinto publicly questioned the FIA's integrity on Twitter, prompting Ben Sulayem to personally call the Argentine driver to reassure him. 'Franco is a great young talent. I spoke to him to explain that this decision was not personal,' Ben Sulayem said. 'We do not want any driver to be affected by baseless criticism.' In response to online abuse targeting stewards, the FIA announced plans to rotate and train stewards through its member clubs (ASNs). 'We will ask ASNs to nominate steward candidates, ensuring regional diversity and reducing the risk of bias,' an FIA spokesperson said. This move comes after years of controversy over consistency in F1 stewarding decisions. Last year, a steward in Miami received death threats after a controversial penalty, forcing the FIA to increase security measures. Ben Sulayem stressed that the new training program would help stewards gain deeper knowledge of both sporting regulations and how to handle media pressure. Reactions from teams are divided. While Alpine and Racing Bulls support their drivers, some other teams believe the penalties were correct. 'The rules are the rules,' an anonymous team director told a Turin sports newspaper. 'If you overtake under yellow, you pay the price. There is no debate.' However, analysts point out that the issue is not just about the penalty, but about the perception of fairness. 'When an Argentine driver is penalized, Argentine fans think it's racism. When a British driver is penalized, British fans think the same. This is more about crowd psychology than about the rules,' commented tactical analyst Bui Vy. Against this backdrop, Ben Sulayem pledged to release a detailed report on stewarding decisions after each race to increase transparency. 'We will not hide anything. People have the right to know why a decision was made,' he added. The debate is expected to intensify at the next race, where Colapinto and Lindblad will have a chance to prove their ability on track. Meanwhile, the FIA faces a major challenge in restoring trust among fans and drivers. With Ben Sulayem admitting that 'some think we are against the British,' it is clear that the FIA is in a difficult position: any decision can be labeled as biased or against a particular country. The solution lies in transparency, training, and listening – but will that be enough to calm the emotions erupting on social media? The answer may come from the new stewards themselves, who will be trained under the FIA's reform program. But for now, the battle for trust remains unresolved.