Formula 1: Sexist comments 'do not reflect' FIA boss Mohammed Ben Sulayem's beliefs

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Motorsport's governing assemblage the FIA says sexist remarks attributed to its president "do not bespeak his beliefs".

Mohammed Ben Sulayem is quoted connected an archived mentation of his aged website saying helium does "not similar women who deliberation they are smarter than men".

An FIA spokesperson said: "He has a beardown grounds connected promoting women and equality successful sport, which helium is blessed to beryllium judged on. It was a cardinal portion of his manifesto and actions taken this twelvemonth and the galore years helium served arsenic vice-president for athletics beryllium this."

The beingness of Ben Sulayem's aged website, and the information it contained misogynistic views, had been discussed by elder figures wrong F1 since the 61-year-old Emirati became FIA president successful December 2021.

But the website's contents had not go nationalist until they were revealed by The Times connected Friday.

The paper reported that connected the tract Ben Sulayem says his likes and dislikes are "basically simple", adding: "I emotion the godforsaken and I emotion gathering existent people."

The website goes connected to accidental that helium does not similar talking "about money, nor bash I similar women who deliberation they are smarter than men, for they are not successful truth".

The FIA spokesperson said: "The remarks successful this archived website from 2001 bash not bespeak the president's beliefs."

Questions arsenic to whether the website was Ben Sulayem's, whether it accurately reflected his views astatine the time, and wherefore helium had changed his presumption successful the intervening play did not person a response.

The incidental is the latest successful a bid of controversies that person embroiled Ben Sulayem since helium became FIA president.

Earlier this week, helium was accused by F1's owners of making "unacceptable" remarks astir the worth of the sport.

A bid of tweets from Ben Sulayem successful the aftermath of a study claiming Saudi Arabia had tried to bargain the athletics for $20bn said the magnitude was "an inflated terms tag".

The main ineligible officers of commercialized rights holder F1 and its owners Liberty Media responded with a missive of ailment to the FIA Executive and World Motorsport Council.

It said that Ben Sulayem's comments had "overstepped the bounds of some the FIA's remit and its contractual rights" and added that the FIA "may beryllium liable" for immoderate harm to Liberty's value.

Ben Sulayem has besides this twelvemonth caused contention by appearing to enactment a bid by the US-based Andretti organisation to acceptable up an 11th F1 team. Liberty are lukewarm connected the bid, pointing retired determination are different organisations considering an entry, and the bulk of the existing teams reason it.

And among a bid of actions that raised concerns astatine F1 and among the teams past year, Ben Sulayem blocked a unanimous statement to treble the fig of 'sprint' format races successful 2023 for six months earlier yet agreeing.