Mohammed Ben Sulayem accused of being sexist by former FIA interim secretary general

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has recently been accused of bullying and sexism by former FIA interim secretary general of motorsport Shaila-Ann Rao. This puts yet another dent in the Emirati's reputation. Rao sent a letter, accusing the FIA president of numerous instances of sexist behavior that took place before she left her role in the governing body in December 2022.

While the victim refused to publicly comment on anything, an FIA spokesperson told The Telegraph about the accusation and assured that the F1's governing body would take it seriously and take necessary actions. They said:

"The FIA takes allegations of abuse very seriously and addresses all complaints using robust and clear procedures. As part of this, the FIA has an anti-harassment policy, an anonymous whistleblowing facility and an investigation procedure and all staff are made aware of these through an induction and regular training."

This is not the first time Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been blamed for being sexist. Back in January 2023, several reports emerged about how he made some sexist comments earlier in his career in 2001. Due to all these allegations, Mohammed Ben Sulayem stepped down from handling day-to-day operations in F1.

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Mohammed Ben Sulayem was confident about Aston Martin's success with Fernando Alonso

The FIA president was confident that Aston Martin would thrive in F1 with Fernando Alonso. He praised the Spaniard and how the team was progressing in the sport by adding new members. He said:

"They should be able to do it; they are investing for it; they are on the way, and they have a driver ready like Fernando (Alonso)."

"I think that Aston Martin, with (Lawrence, owner) Stroll, they are trying things by signing a new driver and new personnel, new discipline, which is also very important."

Of course, Mohammed Ben Sulayem was not wrong in this case, as the team's performance skyrocketed in the 2023 F1 season. They currently sit in second place in the constructors' championship, with Fernando Alonso in third in the drivers' championship.