Formula One bosses have accused FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem of “unacceptable” interference within the alleged sale of the game.
After stories of a $20 billion (£16.3 billion) Saudi Arabian bid to purchase F1’s business rights, Ben Sulayem raised issues on Twitter concerning the potential penalties of an “inflated” takeover akin to greater ticket costs for followers if the brand new homeowners tried to recoup their funding.
He added {that a} potential purchaser of F1 ought to “come with a clear, sustainable plan — not just a lot of money.”
Sky Sports News revealed on Monday his remarks angered senior F1’s officers and now authorized bosses have written to the FIA warning that Ben Sulayem’s tweets had “interfered with our rights in an unacceptable manner”
In a letter first reported by Sky News, but additionally seen by Sky Sports News, F1 common counsel, Sacha Woodward Hill, and Renee Wilm, chief authorized and administrative officer of Liberty Media Corporation, F1’s controlling shareholder, have accused the FIA — motorsport’s governing physique — of straying past its remit.
The letter has additionally been circulated to all 10 F1 groups. Sky Sports News contacted the FIA for a response however has acquired no remark.
Ben Sulayem’s feedback got here in response to a report final week by Bloomberg News that Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund had explored a $20 billion takeover bid for the game in 2022.
Neither F1 nor Saudi’s Public Investment Fund have commented on the report.
The letter, warned the FIA that “Formula 1 has the exclusive right to exploit the commercial rights in the FIA Formula One World Championship” beneath a 100-year deal.
“Further, the FIA has given unequivocal undertakings that it will not do anything to prejudice the ownership, management and/or exploitation of those rights.
“We contemplate that these feedback, produced from the FIA president’s official social media account, intrude with these rights in an unacceptable method.”
The response to Ben Sulayem’s comments comes at a time of heightened tensions between F1 and its governing body.
The letter from Woodward Hill and Wilm also said the suggestion, implicit in the FIA president’s remarks, “that any potential purchaser of the Formula 1 business is required to seek the advice of with the FIA is fallacious.”
It added that Ben Sulayem had “overstep[ped] the bounds of the FIA’s remit,” saying that “any particular person or organisation commenting on the worth of a listed entity or its subsidiaries, particularly claiming or implying possession of inside data whereas doing so, dangers inflicting substantial injury to the shareholders and buyers of that entity, to not point out potential publicity to critical regulatory penalties.”
“To the diploma that these feedback injury the worth of Liberty Media Corporation, the FIA could also be liable in consequence.”
Contacted by Sky News, an F1 spokesperson declined to comment.
F1 teams question FIA president’s position after latest disagreements
Analysis by Sky Sports News’ Craig Slater…
Ahead of the 2023 season, this can be a huge battle on the high of the game.
Formula 1 is owned by an American firm, Liberty Media, and is a listed firm. If somebody of the standing of the FIA president makes an statement into what the suitable worth probably is, that could possibly be to the corporate’s business detriments.
This is only one of numerous points which over the course of Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s tenure has irked not simply F1, however among the groups as properly.
I’ve been involved with numerous F1 groups, they usually’ve had numerous views on what has gone on this week.
One senior determine has mentioned to me there’s a dialogue amongst numerous groups about simply how lengthy Mohammed Ben Sulayem can proceed on this job.
There are questions being requested about his tenure due to what’s turning into an more and more fractious (relationship) between the governing physique and the business rights holder, and by extension the groups.
It’s a mode of management as a lot as the rest. It all dates again to an unease, which some individuals within the sport have, of the association by which the FIA (then headed by Max Mosley) over a decade in the past bought the lease of the business rights for 100 years to an organisation then run by Bernie Ecclestone to take advantage of the business rights.
It was felt on the time that it was leased out far too cheaply, and a few individuals see Mohammed Ben Sulayem publicly signalling that he’s uncomfortable with this association.
This runs fairly deep, and it’s an historic challenge that the governing physique and business rights holder must wrestle with.