“They are all corrupt”, “Red Bull have got them FIA gurus on their payroll” - Fans react as Lewis Hamilton takes a stand against FIA president

Lewis Hamilton recently said he has "never" backed FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, and also questioned the lack of accountability within F1 and FIA.

This came after Susie Wolff, managing director of F1 Academy, filed a criminal complaint against the FIA after she was accused of sharing confidential information with her husband and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff last season. The case, which was debunked within a span of 48 hours, brought bad press to the FIA, and raised questions about a lack of transparency within the organization.

Ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton was asked whether Mohammed Ben Sulayem had his support in his role as the FIA president.

"He never has," Hamilton said.

Reacting to Lewis Hamilton's comment, fans took to social media platforms to denounce the FIA's controversial actions that have come to light in recent months. One X (formerly Twitter) user wrote:

"They are all corrupt."

A second fan tweeted:

"Red Bull have got them FIA gurus on their payroll."

Another user chimed in:

"Bad time to be an F1 fan. Corrupt from top to bottom."

Here are some more fan reactions to Lewis Hamilton's comments on FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem:

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Lewis Hamilton questions the lack of accountability within the FIA

Emphasizing the need for greater transparency to rebuild trust with fans, Hamilton said:

"There is a real lack of accountability here, within this sport, within the FIA. There are things that are happening behind closed doors, there is no transparency, there is really no accountability and we need that. The fans need that. How can you trust the sport and what is happening here if you don’t have that?"

It was recently reported that Mohammed Ben Sulayem was involved in team affairs. The 62-year-old had reportedly approached reigning three-time F1 World champion Max Verstappen and asked for his public support of Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

Horner has been accused of behavioral misconduct with a female employee within Red Bull Racing. While an internal investigation cleared the Briton of the allegations, Horner continues to go through a tumultuous period.

Amidst the drama, Ben Sulayem's attempt to solicit a pubic display of support from Verstappen raised further questions about his reputation.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton will return to action on the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit for the third race of the season. The 39-year-old, in his final season with Mercedes, secured a seventh and a ninth place finish respectively in the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.