FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has opened up about the personal and professional attacks he faced earlier this year, during a tumultuous period marked by his son’s tragic death and heightened tensions with Formula 1’s owner, Liberty Media.
Amid ongoing disputes concerning the potential entry of the Andretti-Cadillac collaboration into Formula 1, and rumors of F1 attempting to court General Motors away from this venture, Ben Sulayem believes that the accusations of sexism and bullying directed at him were tied to his efforts to introduce an eleventh team to the grid.
Reflecting on this challenging time, he shared with Speed Week, “I went through hell. I ask myself, what did I do to deserve all those attacks in February and March? They attacked me the day I opened the expression of interest. Even when my son died, they attacked me, insulted me, just to break me because I had opened Formula 1 to the world.”
There are currently speculations that Formula 1 is intentionally delaying commercial negotiations with Andretti-Cadillac, hoping to run down the clock and hinder their preparations for a 2025 entry. Despite this, team boss Michael Andretti revealed that a wind tunnel model of their 2026 car is already being tested in Toyota’s Cologne facility, although the official green light from Liberty Media is still pending.
Andretti highlighted the commitment already made, stating, “We have hired many top engineers who want to know what happens next.” He also countered suggestions that General Motors’ involvement through Cadillac was merely symbolic, affirming their active role in chassis development. However, he acknowledged that the team would need to rely on a customer engine initially, with a Cadillac power unit being a more realistic prospect for 2027 or later.
Mario Andretti, Michael’s father and a legend in the racing world, expressed his passionate support for the project, declaring, “GM is enthusiastically involved and fully committed to the project at all levels. It is the last big dream of my life to see this project start.”
