The annual FIA prize-giving gala is no stranger to some bizarre antics from drivers and other members of the F1 community.
Kimi Raikkonen is somebody who could tell you this himself, having hilariously gone on stage drunk at the 2018 gala.
Whilst it is no shock to see the drivers enjoying themselves to the extreme at the awards evening, it was a complete shock to see the FIA president behaving peculiarly.
Following a bizarre back-and-forth conversation with Christian Horner, whilst presenting him with the Constructors’ trophy following Red Bull’s dominant campaign, Mohammed Ben Sulayem said some rather odd things.
READ: George Russell accuses Lewis Hamilton of lying about excuse for pace deficit
After collecting the award on-stage, Horner spoke shortly about the season.
He discussed the death of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz and how the trophy was for him, whilst also joking about the chaotic Japanese Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen claimed his second consecutive Drivers’ Championship.
Suzuka saw some seriously odd conditions, with full points having been awarded despite less than half the race having been completed.
Full points were awarded due to the race having restarted after a red flag, something that left the entire paddock confused.
“We managed to win this and it’s a very special one,” said Horner at the end of his speech when collecting the Constructors’ Championship trophy.
“Thank you Christian,” said Ben Sulayem.
“Firstly, you deserve the win if it’s the manufacturer or Max.
“Secondly, you said about Dietrich, I drove with Red Bull sponsorship in my last championship,” the FIA president revealed, whilst Domenicali whispered into his ear.
“And one thing you said about Japan. Japan you said was controversial, no.
“The FIA were blamed for the points but it was not the FIA which made the rules, it was the teams who made the rules and we were implementing it,” he said, whilst the camera panned to Sergio Pérez, who couldn’t contain his amusement!
Domenicali then quickly interrupted the FIA president’s controversial ramble, before he continued to talk.
“It’s very, very clear about the FIA,” Ben Sulayem continued.
“He [Horner] is right, they deserve the win, everyone who wins deserves it these are the rules. Well done, I say it honestly and for more wins also,” added the FIA president.
Clips of the pair’s conversation quickly found its way onto social media, with the vast majority of fans believing the same thing, that the FIA president was drunk.
It was also questioned that Ben Sulayem revealed that he raced with Red Bull sponsorship, something that certainly hasn’t helped the case of whether the FIA favoured Red Bull in 2021.