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{{short description|Emirati rally driver and president of FIA (born 1961)}}
{{Infobox WRC driver
{{use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
| name = Mohammed Ben Sulayemm
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Mohammed Ben Sulayem.JPG
| name = Mohammed Ben Sulayem
| image = Dr.Mohammed BinSulayem.jpg
| image_size =
| office = President of [[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile]]
| term_start = 17 December 2021
| term_end =
| succeeding =
| predecessor = [[Jean Todt]]
| successor =
| caption =
| caption =
| birth_date = 1961
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|11|12|df=y}}
| nationality = {{flagicon|UAE}} [[United Arab Emirates|UAE]]
| birth_place = [[Dubai]], [[Trucial States]] (now [[United Arab Emirates]])
| Years = 1988, 1990, 1991 – 1995
| nationality = [[Emiratis|Emirati]]
| Teams = [[Ford World Rally Team|Ford]], [[Toyota]]
| Championships = 14
| other_names =
| Wins = 61
| known_for =
| Podiums =
| occupation =
| Stagewins =
| education =
| Points =
| honours =
| spouse =
| First race = 1984 [[Acropolis Rally]]
| children =
| First win = –
| Last race = 2003
| parents =
| website =
| module =
{{Infobox racing driver|subbox=yes
| name = <!-- leave empty if it is below another infobox -->
| image =
| image_size = <!-- defaults to 180px unless a value is entered -->
| caption =
| nationality = <!-- use only when necessary per [[WP:INFONAT]] -->
| full_name = <!-- Only if different from name -->
| birth_name = <!-- Only if different from name -->
| birth_date = <!-- {{Birth date and age|yyyy|m|d}} if alive OR {{Birth date|yyyy|m|d}} if deceased -->
| birth_place =
| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) -->
| death_place =
| retired = <!-- year of retirement -->
| related to = <!-- list of notable relatives with line breaks -->
| last series = [[ Middle East Rally Championship]]
| years active = 1983&ndash;2002
| teams = [[Ford World Rally Team|Ford]], [[Toyota Team Europe|Toyota]]
| starts =
| wins =
| poles =
| fastest laps = <!-- if known -->
| best finish = <!-- if a final championship placing has been recorded -->
| year = <!-- use piped link if season article exists -->
| prev series = <!-- previous series with line breaks -->
| prev series years =
| titles = 14 X [[Middle East Rally Championship]]
| title years =
| awards =
| award years =
}}
}}
}}
'''Mohammed Ahmed bin Sulayem''' or '''Mohammed ben Sulayem''' (born 1961) is a [[United Arab Emirates|UAE]] champion [[rallying|rally]] driver who lives in [[Dubai]] and is one the Arab world's most famous sportsmen.


'''Mohammed Ahmad Sultan Ben Sulayem''' ({{lang-ar|محمد بن سليم}}; born 12 November 1961) is an [[Emiratis|Emirati]] former rally driver and current president of the [[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile]] (FIA), the governing body of many auto racing events including [[Formula One]].
He has won more FIA regional championships, and more international rallies, than any other racer in history. His premier event has been the FIA [[Middle East Rally Championship]]. Since first winning in 1986, he has gone on to win the event a record, 14 times, never having been defeated and making him the most successful FIA title holder in the world.


He is a former rally driver, and one of the most successful [[Middle East Rally Championship]] drivers, winning 14 titles. In 2005, he became the President of the [[Automobile & Touring Club of the United Arab Emirates|Emirates Motorsports Organization]], the representative of the [[United Arab Emirates]] in the FIA. In 2008, he was elected as a Vice President for sport and a member of the [[FIA World Motor Sport Council]]. He was key to organizing the first [[Abu Dhabi Grand Prix]] in 2009. In 2012, he was among the founding members and chairman of FIA sub-region of Arab Council of Touring and Automobile Clubs. In December 2021, he was appointed as FIA President, succeeding [[Jean Todt]].
This successful career includes 61 international outings in the European, African, Middle East and World Rally Championships (WRC). During his career he drove for Opel, Toyota and Ford.
Though he has not raced competitively since the 2003 season, Sulayem has yet to officially announce his retirement from rally sport. While his official name is Mohammed bin Sulayem he is commonly referred to as "Mohammed ben Sulayem".


==Early life and education==
==Education==
Sulayem was born on 12 November 1961 in [[Dubai]], [[Trucial States]] (now [[United Arab Emirates]]). He studied business at the [[American University]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], and at the [[University of Ulster]] where he graduated with a [[bachelor's degree]].<ref name="FIA">{{Cite report|date=17 December 2021|title=Mohammed Ben Sulayem, profile|url=https://www.fia.com/profile/mohammed-ben-sulayem |access-date=6 November 2023|publisher=[[Federation Internationale de l'Automobile]]|language=en}}</ref>
Sulayem is an alumnus of the [[American University]], located in [[Washington D.C.]], where he majored in [[political science]].


==Post-rallying==
==Personal life==
Sulayem is a prominent car collector and owns multiple [[supercar]]s including [[Koenigsegg Agera]], [[Mercedes-Benz]], [[Ferrari]], [[Porsche]], [[McLaren]], [[Bugatti]], [[Jaguar]], [[Lexus]], [[Ford GT]], [[Lamborghini]] and [[Rolls-Royce Motor Cars| Rolls-Royce]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=ECR Collection - The Mohammed Ben Sulayem Collection|url=https://exclusivecarregistry.com/collection/themohammedbensulayemcollection|access-date=29 July 2022|website=Exclusive Car Registry|language=en}}</ref>
Mohammed Ben Sulayem is the President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the United Arab Emirates (ATCUAE), FIA Vice-President for Sport, and Chairman of the Institute for Sport Research UAE.


In July 2012, he was awarded the [[honorary degree]] of Doctor of Science from the University of Ulster in recognition of his services to sport, civic leadership and charity.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Ulster Honours Gulf Rally Driver|url=https://www.ulster.ac.uk/news/2012/july/ulster-honours-gulf-rally-driver|access-date=4 May 2021|publisher=Ulster|date=7 November 2016|language=en}}</ref>
Sulayem has been appointed by the [[FIA]] and [[Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme|FIM]] as the official representative to oversee all [[auto racing|motorsports]] events in the UAE. He is also Chairman of the Organising Committee for the ppAbu Dhabi Desert Challenge ``, formerly the UAE Desert Challenge, a rally raid race that he founded in 1991. The event has since become the first round of the FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup.


On 7 March 2023, Ben Sulayem's son, Saif Ben Sulayem, died in a road accident in Dubai.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Saif Ben Sulayem: FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem's son killed in car crash in Dubai|url=https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12828692/saif-ben-sulayem-fia-president-mohammed-ben-sulayems-son-killed-in-car-crash-in-dubai|date=9 March 2023|access-date=10 March 2023|newspaper=Sky Sports|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=FIA president Ben Sulayem's son loses life in road crash|url=https://www.motorsport.com/general/news/fia-president-ben-sulayems-son-loses-life-in-road-crash/10441692/|access-date=10 March 2023|publisher=Motorsport.com|date=9 March 2023 |language=en}}</ref>
He is a founding member of the Arab Council of Touring and Automobile Clubs, which aims to unite the FIA Clubs of Arabic-speaking territories.


==Racing career==
In 2008 he was appointed Vice President of the FIA and a member of the World Motor Sport Council. The FIA is the global sporting authority for motorsport and represents 100 million car owners in almost 200 countries.
Ben Sulayem competed in the [[Middle East Rally Championship]] driving for [[Toyota]] and [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]. He won his first title in 1986 with a [[Toyota Celica]] and went on to win six consecutive titles till 1991.<ref name="MERC"/> In 1994, He won his seventh title with a [[Ford Escort RS Cosworth]]. From 1996 to 2002, Ben Sulayem won a further seven titles with [[Ford Focus RS WRC|Ford]], making the most successful driver in the championship with over 60 wins and 14 titles (both the records have since been broken by [[Nasser Al-Attiyah]]).<ref name="MERC">{{Cite web|url=http://motorsportwinners.com/current/middle-east-rally-championship/|title=Middle East Rally Championship winners|publisher=Motorsport Winners|access-date=1 November 2023}}</ref>


==Administrative career==
Apart from motor sport, Mr. Ben Sulayem is actively involved with social causes lending his name to fund-raising events and endorsing brands where the proceeds are forwarded to pre-selected foundations and institutes. Despite his passion for motor sport, Mr. Ben Sulayem is very conscious of the dangers of speeding and has been in the forefront championing the cause of road safety not just in the region but worldwide.
In 2005, he became the President of the [[Automobile & Touring Club of the United Arab Emirates|Emirates Motorsports Organization]], the representative of the [[United Arab Emirates|UAE]] in FIA.<ref name="FIAP">{{Cite report|date=17 December 2021|title=Mohammed Ben Sulayem, profile|url=https://www.fia.com/file/166694/download/|access-date=6 November 2023|publisher=[[Federation Internationale de l'Automobile]]|language=en}}</ref> In 2008, he was elected as a Vice President for sport and a member of the [[FIA World Motor Sport Council]], and he was key to organizing the first [[Abu Dhabi Grand Prix]] in 2009.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Cooper|first=Sam|date=24 January 2023|title=Who is the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and where does he come from? |url=https://www.planetf1.com/news/who-is-mohammed-ben-sulayem-fia-president|access-date=20 October 2023|publisher=PlanetF1|language=en}}</ref> In 2012, he was among the founding members and chairman of FIA sub-region of Arab Council of Touring and Automobile Clubs.<ref name="FIAP"/>


In June 2013, he was appointed as the chairman of the new Motor Sport Development Task Force set up by the FIA to build a ten-year plan for the sport's global development.<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/12/17/mohammed-ben-sulayem/|title=Who is new FIA President Mohammed ben Sulayem – was he a former driver?|date= 17 December 2021|publisher=HITC|access-date=18 December 2021}}</ref> In December 2021, he was appointed as the FIA President succeeding [[Jean Todt]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.fia.com/news/mohammed-ben-sulayem-elected-fia-president|title=Mohammed Ben Sulayem elected FIA President|date=17 December 2021|publisher=FIA|access-date=19 December 2021}}</ref>
Ben Sulayem is a keen advocate of education and the creation of knowledge in sport. In 2010 in conjunction with the [[University of Ulster]] he established the Institute of Sports Research which allows people working in motorsport and other sports to pursue post graduate degrees by research. Currently the Institute has a number of candidates for both Masters and PhD degrees mainly in the broad of motorsport management. He is also co-editor of Sports Management in the Middle East the first academic book to be published on the subject where Ben Sulayem also wrote the chapter on Governance and Ethics in sport.


==Honors==
In recognition of his contribution to the sport and for serving as a role model for Arab youth, Mr Ben Sulayem was declared the UAE’s Sportsman of the Century by the respected international news agency, Agence France-Presse in 1991.
*14 X [[Middle East Rally Championship]] (1986-91, 1994, 1996-2002)


==Interests==
===Individual===
Individual honors won include:<ref name="FIAP"/>
As the owner of Ben Sulayem Performance, he and his team have been noted for creating super-high performance modifications to a variety of sports and luxury cars. In 2005, he received press in motorsports' circles for having a [[Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class|Mercedes SLK 55 AMG]] modified to accept a Modified [[Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren|SLR]] engine, providing the car with over 740 [[horsepower|hp]] and 1200 [[Newton meter|Nm]] (885 [[foot-pound force|ft·lb]]) of [[torque]]. The modified SLK has a higher top speed (350&nbsp;km/h estimated) than the production SLR due to differences in weight and was noted for a video depicting it out-performing an unmodified [[Enzo Ferrari (automobile)|Enzo Ferrari]].
*Medal of Honour, [[King of Jordan|King]] [[Hussein of Jordan]] (1986)
*President’s Cup, [[President of Lebanon|President]] [[Amine Gemayel]] of [[Lebanon]] (1987)
*Medal of Honour, [[President of Lebanon|President]] [[Emile Lahoud]] of [[Lebanon]] (1999)
*Medal of Honour, [[King of Jordan|King]] [[Abdullah II of Jordan|Abdullah of Jordan]] (1999)
*Medal of Honour, [[King of Bahrain|King]] [[Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa]] of [[Bahrain]] (2004)
*UAE Sportsman of the Century, [[Agence France-Presse]] (AFP)


==Controversies==
On April 9, 2009 while demonstrating a [[Renault R28]] [[Formula One|F1]] car &ndash; in a drag race against [[2008 GP2 Asia Series season|2008 GP2 Asia Series]] champion [[Romain Grosjean]], who was driving a [[Ford GT]] &ndash; at an exhibition at the [[Dubai Autodrome]], Sulayem lost control of the vehicle under acceleration and crashed into the pit wall, causing extensive damage to the car. He was uninjured in the incident.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090409/NATIONAL/528266148/-1/ART|title=Ben Sulayem survives high-speed crash|date=2009-04-09|publisher=The National}}</ref>
In 2009, during a promotional event for [[Renault in Formula One|Renault F1 team]] in Dubai, Ben Sulayem crashed a [[Renault R28]] Formula One car in a race against a [[Ford GT]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/other-sport/rally-champion-wonders-what-went-wrong-in-f1-crash-1.548024|title=Rally champion wonders what went wrong in F1 crash|publisher=National News|access-date=1 November 2023}}</ref>
He is featured in [[Dirt 2]] and a cameo appearance in [[Dirt 3]].


In 2022, Ben Sulayem, as FIA President, oversaw the investigation into the controversial ending of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The race ended with a last lap shootout when the Race Director (Michael Masi) brought in the safety car on the same lap as allowing lapped cars to unlap themselves. This breaches F1 regulations, which require the safety car to stay out for an additional lap after unlapping lapped cars. Had the regulations been applied correctly, the race would have ended under safety car conditions with no overtaking allowed on the final lap. The investigation concluded that whilst the safety car did not stay out for the additional lap, "as required by article 48.12", the result was legitimised because, as Mercedes AMG did not appeal, there was "no available mechanism to change the classification".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fia.com/news/fia-announces-world-motor-sport-council-decisions-25|title=FIA Announces World Motor Sport Council Decisions|publisher=FIA|access-date=19 March 2022}}</ref> The investigation failed to report that the FIA President has the power under Judicial & Disciplinary article 9.1.1.d to refer the controversial ending to the FIA International Court of Appeal (ICA) for them to decide whether the result was legitimate. The ICA have the power to change race classifications should they deem that regulations were infringed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fia.com/rules-practice-directions|title=FIA Judicial and Disciplinary rules|publisher=FIA|access-date=19 March 2022}}</ref> This option is available until March 2027, 5 years after the report was published, in accordance with the statute of limitation defined in the F1 Sporting Regulations.
==Major rally wins and championships==

*[[Middle East Rally]] Championship (14): 1986&ndash;91, 1994, 1996&ndash;2002
Ben Sulayem allegedly told FIA officials to declare the Las Vegas circuit unsafe for racing and not certify the [[Las Vegas Grand Prix]] circuit for its 2023 race.<ref name="Andrew Benson">{{cite news |last1=Benson |first1=Andrew |title=Mohammed Ben Sulayem: FIA president allegedly told officials not to certify Las Vegas GP |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/68478049 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |date=5 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Sarkozi |first1=Kada |title='Ben Sulayem attempted to cancel Las Vegas GP last year' |url=https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/263097/fia-president-ben-sulayem-also-accused-of-wanting-to-cancel-las-vegas.html |publisher=GPblog}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=McDonagh |first1=Connor |title=FIA’s Mohammed Ben Sulayem under more scrutiny as Las Vegas GP allegations emerge |url=https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1045039/1/fias-mohammed-ben-sulayem-under-more-scrutiny-las-vegas-gp-allegations-emerge |publisher=Crash |date=5 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=BHAGI |first1=PRANAY |title=Mohammed Ben Sulayem Attempted to Cancel $1.2 BN Worth Las Vegas GP for Mysterious Reasons |url=https://www.essentiallysports.com/f1-news-mohammed-ben-sulayem-attempted-to-cancel-worth-las-vegas-gp-for-mysterious-reasons/ |publisher=Essentially Sports |date=5 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Gale |first1=Ewan |title=FIA president facing fresh whistleblower allegations - report |url=https://racingnews365.com/fia-president-facing-fresh-whistleblower-allegations-report |publisher=Racing News |date=5 March 2024}}</ref>
*UAE International Rally (5): 1996&ndash;99, 2001
Ben Sulayem is also under investigation for allegedly attempting to intervene in the results of the 2023 [[Saudi Arabian Grand Prix]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Golding |first1=Nick |last2= Parkes |first2=Ian |title=FIA President under investigation for alleged race interference |url=https://racingnews365.com/fia-president-under-investigation-for-alleged-race-interference |website=Racing News |date=5 March 2024}}</ref> On 5 March 2024 the FIA confirmed its [[compliance officer]] has received two whistleblower complaints.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fryer |first1=Jenna |title=FIA confirms whistleblower complaints against president regarding Saudi Arabia and Las Vegas races |url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2024/mar/05/fia-confirms-whistleblower-complaints-against-pres/ |work=Las Vegas Sun |date=March 5, 2024}}</ref>
*Bahrain International Rally (3): 2000&ndash;02

*Qatar International Rally (9): 1988, 1990&ndash;91, 1996&ndash;98, 2000&ndash;02
In January 2023, [[The Times]] newspaper resurfaced comments Ben Sulayem made on his now archived website in 2001. The newspaper quoted Sulayem as saying he did not like "women who think they are smarter than men, for they are not in truth". The veracity of the quotes was not refuted by Sulayem, but the FIA defended him saying "the remarks in this archived website from 2001 do not reflect the president's beliefs".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/fia-defends-ben-sulayem-after-reported-sexist-comments-2023-01-28/|title=FIA defends Ben Sulayem after reported sexist comments|author=Alan Baldwin|date=28 January 2023|publisher=Reuters|access-date=30 January 2023 }}</ref>
*Jordan International Rally (12): 1984, 1987&ndash;88, 1990, 1994, 1996&ndash;2002
*Rally du Liban (4): 1987, 1997&ndash;99
*Syrian International Rally (3): 2000&ndash;02
*Dubai International Rally (15): 1985&ndash;88, 1991&ndash;95, 1997&ndash;2002
*Oman International Rally (6): 1986&ndash;87, 1990&ndash;91, 1994, 1998
*Kuwait International Rally (4): 1985, 1988&ndash;89, 1996
*Saudi International Rally (1): 2000
* India International Gundo Rally (34):2003


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Mohammed Ben Sulayem}}
{{Commons category|Mohammed bin Sulayem}}
*[http://www.mohammedbensulayem.com/ Mohammed Ben Sulayem]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060425052945/http://www.mohammedbensulayem.com/ Mohammed Ben Sulayem]
*[http://www.bspturbo.com/index.htm Ben Sulayem Performance]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060515115828/http://www.bspturbo.com/index.htm Ben Sulayem Performance]

*[http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090409/NATIONAL/528266148/-1/ART]
{{s-start}}
*[http://www.jalopnik.com/cars/custom-carshot-rods/more-on-the-slrpowered-mercedes-slk-out-of-the-mouths-of-mechanics-122019.php Jalopnik ''More on the SLR-Powered Mercedes SLK: Out of the Mouths of Mechanics'']
{{s-sports}}
*[http://www.atcuae.ae/ Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE]
{{succession box | before = [[Jean Todt]] | title = President of the [[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile]] | years= 2021–present | after= Incumbent}}
{{succession box | before = [[Saeed Al-Hajri (rally driver)|Saeed Al-Hajri]] | title = [[Middle East Rally Championship|Middle East Rally Champion]] | years = 1986–1991 | after = Mamdouh Khayat }}
{{succession box | before = Hamed Al-Thani | title = [[Middle East Rally Championship|Middle East Rally Champion]] | years = 1994 | after = [[Abdullah Bakhashab]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Abdullah Bakhashab]] | title = [[Middle East Rally Championship|Middle East Rally Champion]] | years = 1996–2002 | after = [[Nasser Al-Attiyah]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{FIA}}{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Sulayem, Mohammed Ben
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1961
| PLACE OF BIRTH = UAE
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sulayem, Mohammed Ben}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sulayem, Mohammed Ben}}
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Emirati rally drivers]]
[[Category:Emirati rally drivers]]
[[Category:People from Dubai]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Dubai]]
[[Category:Middle East Rally Championship]]

[[Category:Presidents of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile]]
[[ar:محمد بن سليم]]
[[fr:Mohammed Ben Sulayem]]
[[hu:Mohammed bin Szulajm]]
[[ja:モハメド・ビン・スライエム]]

Revision as of 21:50, 26 April 2024

Mohammed Ben Sulayem
President of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
Assumed office
17 December 2021
Preceded byJean Todt
Personal details
Born (1961-11-12) 12 November 1961 (age 62)
Dubai, Trucial States (now United Arab Emirates)
Middle East Rally Championship
Years active1983–2002
TeamsFord, Toyota
Championship titles
14 X Middle East Rally Championship

Mohammed Ahmad Sultan Ben Sulayem (Arabic: محمد بن سليم; born 12 November 1961) is an Emirati former rally driver and current president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the governing body of many auto racing events including Formula One.

He is a former rally driver, and one of the most successful Middle East Rally Championship drivers, winning 14 titles. In 2005, he became the President of the Emirates Motorsports Organization, the representative of the United Arab Emirates in the FIA. In 2008, he was elected as a Vice President for sport and a member of the FIA World Motor Sport Council. He was key to organizing the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009. In 2012, he was among the founding members and chairman of FIA sub-region of Arab Council of Touring and Automobile Clubs. In December 2021, he was appointed as FIA President, succeeding Jean Todt.

Early life and education

Sulayem was born on 12 November 1961 in Dubai, Trucial States (now United Arab Emirates). He studied business at the American University in Washington, D.C., and at the University of Ulster where he graduated with a bachelor's degree.[1]

Personal life

Sulayem is a prominent car collector and owns multiple supercars including Koenigsegg Agera, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Porsche, McLaren, Bugatti, Jaguar, Lexus, Ford GT, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce.[2]

In July 2012, he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Science from the University of Ulster in recognition of his services to sport, civic leadership and charity.[3]

On 7 March 2023, Ben Sulayem's son, Saif Ben Sulayem, died in a road accident in Dubai.[4][5]

Racing career

Ben Sulayem competed in the Middle East Rally Championship driving for Toyota and Ford. He won his first title in 1986 with a Toyota Celica and went on to win six consecutive titles till 1991.[6] In 1994, He won his seventh title with a Ford Escort RS Cosworth. From 1996 to 2002, Ben Sulayem won a further seven titles with Ford, making the most successful driver in the championship with over 60 wins and 14 titles (both the records have since been broken by Nasser Al-Attiyah).[6]

Administrative career

In 2005, he became the President of the Emirates Motorsports Organization, the representative of the UAE in FIA.[7] In 2008, he was elected as a Vice President for sport and a member of the FIA World Motor Sport Council, and he was key to organizing the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009.[8] In 2012, he was among the founding members and chairman of FIA sub-region of Arab Council of Touring and Automobile Clubs.[7]

In June 2013, he was appointed as the chairman of the new Motor Sport Development Task Force set up by the FIA to build a ten-year plan for the sport's global development.[9] In December 2021, he was appointed as the FIA President succeeding Jean Todt.[10]

Honors

Individual

Individual honors won include:[7]

Controversies

In 2009, during a promotional event for Renault F1 team in Dubai, Ben Sulayem crashed a Renault R28 Formula One car in a race against a Ford GT.[11]

In 2022, Ben Sulayem, as FIA President, oversaw the investigation into the controversial ending of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The race ended with a last lap shootout when the Race Director (Michael Masi) brought in the safety car on the same lap as allowing lapped cars to unlap themselves. This breaches F1 regulations, which require the safety car to stay out for an additional lap after unlapping lapped cars. Had the regulations been applied correctly, the race would have ended under safety car conditions with no overtaking allowed on the final lap. The investigation concluded that whilst the safety car did not stay out for the additional lap, "as required by article 48.12", the result was legitimised because, as Mercedes AMG did not appeal, there was "no available mechanism to change the classification".[12] The investigation failed to report that the FIA President has the power under Judicial & Disciplinary article 9.1.1.d to refer the controversial ending to the FIA International Court of Appeal (ICA) for them to decide whether the result was legitimate. The ICA have the power to change race classifications should they deem that regulations were infringed.[13] This option is available until March 2027, 5 years after the report was published, in accordance with the statute of limitation defined in the F1 Sporting Regulations.

Ben Sulayem allegedly told FIA officials to declare the Las Vegas circuit unsafe for racing and not certify the Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit for its 2023 race.[14][15][16][17][18] Ben Sulayem is also under investigation for allegedly attempting to intervene in the results of the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.[19] On 5 March 2024 the FIA confirmed its compliance officer has received two whistleblower complaints.[20]

In January 2023, The Times newspaper resurfaced comments Ben Sulayem made on his now archived website in 2001. The newspaper quoted Sulayem as saying he did not like "women who think they are smarter than men, for they are not in truth". The veracity of the quotes was not refuted by Sulayem, but the FIA defended him saying "the remarks in this archived website from 2001 do not reflect the president's beliefs".[21]

References

  1. ^ Mohammed Ben Sulayem, profile (Report). Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  2. ^ "ECR Collection - The Mohammed Ben Sulayem Collection". Exclusive Car Registry. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Ulster Honours Gulf Rally Driver". Ulster. 7 November 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  4. ^ "Saif Ben Sulayem: FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem's son killed in car crash in Dubai". Sky Sports. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  5. ^ "FIA president Ben Sulayem's son loses life in road crash". Motorsport.com. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Middle East Rally Championship winners". Motorsport Winners. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  7. ^ a b c Mohammed Ben Sulayem, profile (Report). Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  8. ^ Cooper, Sam (24 January 2023). "Who is the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and where does he come from?". PlanetF1. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Who is new FIA President Mohammed ben Sulayem – was he a former driver?". HITC. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Mohammed Ben Sulayem elected FIA President". FIA. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  11. ^ "Rally champion wonders what went wrong in F1 crash". National News. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  12. ^ "FIA Announces World Motor Sport Council Decisions". FIA. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  13. ^ "FIA Judicial and Disciplinary rules". FIA. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  14. ^ Benson, Andrew (5 March 2024). "Mohammed Ben Sulayem: FIA president allegedly told officials not to certify Las Vegas GP". BBC Sport. BBC.
  15. ^ Sarkozi, Kada. "'Ben Sulayem attempted to cancel Las Vegas GP last year'". GPblog.
  16. ^ McDonagh, Connor (5 March 2024). "FIA's Mohammed Ben Sulayem under more scrutiny as Las Vegas GP allegations emerge". Crash.
  17. ^ BHAGI, PRANAY (5 March 2024). "Mohammed Ben Sulayem Attempted to Cancel $1.2 BN Worth Las Vegas GP for Mysterious Reasons". Essentially Sports.
  18. ^ Gale, Ewan (5 March 2024). "FIA president facing fresh whistleblower allegations - report". Racing News.
  19. ^ Golding, Nick; Parkes, Ian (5 March 2024). "FIA President under investigation for alleged race interference". Racing News.
  20. ^ Fryer, Jenna (5 March 2024). "FIA confirms whistleblower complaints against president regarding Saudi Arabia and Las Vegas races". Las Vegas Sun.
  21. ^ Alan Baldwin (28 January 2023). "FIA defends Ben Sulayem after reported sexist comments". Reuters. Retrieved 30 January 2023.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mohammed bin Sulayem.
Sporting positions
Preceded by President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
2021–present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by Middle East Rally Champion
1986–1991 		Succeeded by
Mamdouh Khayat
Preceded by
Hamed Al-Thani
 Middle East Rally Champion
1994 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Middle East Rally Champion
1996–2002 		Succeeded by
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