FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is in a lot of hot water at the moment, with every comment he makes currently causing controversy.
First, the FIA president took to Twitter to defend the Andretti-Cadillac project, despite the fact that F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has been very clear about his unwillingness to expand the size of the current grid.
He then made comments about the value of Formula 1 after Saudi Arabia’s £20bn bid to take over the sport was rejected, therefore overstepping his role as head of F1’s governing body.
Finally, a Liberal Democrat wrote an angry letter to the FIA to question why Ben Sulayem ignored a previous letter from last year and slate the new rules that have banned political gestures.
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Things have now got a whole lot worse for the FIA president, as comments made on his old website www.mohammedbensulayem.com have now resurfaced which do not paint the 61-year-old in a good light at all.
The Times have quoted Ben Sulayem as saying that his likes and dislikes are “basically simple,” before listing some examples.
“I love the desert and I love meeting real people,” he began.
He then continues to claim that he does not like talking “about money, nor do I like women who think they are smarter than men, for they are not in truth.”
These shocking and sexist comments have brought the FIA president under fire, as women in motorsport are growing and improving year after year thanks to the opportunities they are now deservedly being given.
The FIA have now issued a statement in response to these comments, claiming that the quotes from his old website “do not reflect his beliefs.”
“He has a strong record on promoting women and equality in sport, which he is happy to be judged on,” said an FIA spokesperson.
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“It was a central part of his manifesto and actions taken this year and the many years he served as vice-president for sport prove this.”
With the relationship between F1 and the FIA at an all-time low, it remains to be seen how the sport will move forward with Mohammed Ben Sulayem at the helm.
With multiple controversies to address, the F1 world waits for a public reply from Mohammed Ben Sulayem.