FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has spoken out against Formula One driver George Russell’s call for full-time stewards to be introduced into the sport.
In October, Mercedes driver Russell called on the FIA, the body that oversees F1, to hire full-time professional race stewards.
The Briton believes this would improve consistency in important decisions and help drivers interpret official race guidelines.
However, the FIA ​​president has spoken out on Russell’s request and is not happy.
Ben Sulayem appears to have taken Russell to task over his request, pointing out that he does not tell drivers how to spend the large salaries they are paid to compete in the sport.
“It’s a nice speech, but when they say they are professionals and they want to be professionals, they don’t want to pay for it. It’s very obvious,” the 63-year-old told Autosport in his response.
“They talk to me and say, ‘Where are you putting the money?’ Why aren’t we doing this? ‘ But I don’t say, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, what about you? ‘ Pilots get paid over $100 million. Should I ask them where they spend it? No, that’s their right.
“So please, I’m not the only one saying it’s none of their business. We do what we do with our money. It’s our business. It’s the same with them and their money. It’s their business.”
The FIA ​​President also revealed his frustration at complaints from drivers and team officials about decisions taken in the sport and blamed the FIA.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem was appointed FIA President in December 2021.
And he added: “But sometimes I don’t really understand it. It’s always the fault of the FIA. Why are we doing this? Why are we doing this? But has anyone gone to see the FOM?
“I keep saying it: stewards don’t grow on trees. It takes time to educate them, it takes time to train them. And then we have to make them evolve, for that we have a program.
“I understand the interest in making them work like in the Premier League, where [the referees] get paid. But we don’t have the money to do it.
“That’s why we have to be very careful about how we move forward. As long as they are committed, fair and well trained, there will be delegates who come and go.”
