FIA president Ben Sulayem slams rising online abuse in Formula 1, insists on urgent reforms

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem gave his unfiltered opinion on the rise of online abuse in Formula One and has insisted on taking urgent reforms on the issue. With the sport being exposed to a wider set of audience in recent years, there have been a lot of complaints from teams and drivers regarding the extreme reactions to on and off-track events on social media.

The passionate fan bases are not shy in giving their opinion on any issues regarding their preferred team and drivers. But in the process, they also sometimes pass harsh remarks on opposing drivers and teams, with some F1 personnel alleging that their loved ones have gotten death threats online.

FIA also surveyed under UAOA (United Against Online Abuse), which was set up by the FIA President to fight online abuse and is a collaborative mission with the governments, the sport's governing body, and UAOA members. The report mentioned that 75% of the drivers had faced threats online and 66% wanted the platforms to take action.

In an event in Madrid, Mohammed Ben Sulayem highlighted the aforementioned report and said (via GPBlog):

"Last year UAOA highlighted the devastating personal toll online abuse has on competitors and athletes. This second edition report has shone a light on the equally unacceptable abuse faced by officials and referees—essential members of the sporting community who ensure our competitions are conducted fairly, robustly, and with integrity," he said.

"While it’s encouraging to see more federations adopting anti-abuse measures, these findings show the scale of abuse is continuing to grow. UAOA’s work in 2025 will be critical in fostering collaboration across the sporting, political, and technology sectors to create meaningful, lasting solutions that protect all members of our community," Ben Sulayem added.

FIA, too, has reportedly faced a barrage of criticism online and from teams alike under Mohammed Ben Sulayem's regime due to his leadership style and the disrupted chain of communication.

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Mohammed Ben Sulayem reflects on the criticism of the FIA

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem defended himself and the sport's governing body regarding the recent workings within the organization and not having a permanent set of race stewards and race directors.

At the FIA Officials Summit in Madrid, the FIA President believed that the critics should come up with solutions rather than complaints. He also believed that the whole process required monetary funds which the drivers and the teams were unwilling to pay, saying:

"The teams can complain, the drivers can complain, but then they don’t want to pay for it. This requires a lot of investment. It has taken us more than two and a half years to get where we are now. Do we have the results? We’ll know the results when the season starts."

The sport's governing body and Ben Sulayem also came under further scrutiny after they announced the possible misconduct bans that the drivers could face in the 2025 season.

Apart from the bans, there could be a huge monetary penalty that they would have to pay if they did not follow the guidelines implemented by the racing body.