General
FIA risking too much? The federation needs F1, not the other way around
- Ludo van Denderen
With the news that drivers who verbally discredit the FIA - or at least the motorsport federation's standards - will face a hefty fine and possible suspension, President Mohammed Ben Sulayem and his crew have reportedly made many drivers unhappy. The federation would need to take this matter seriously, because it should not be forgotten: the FIA need Formula 1 more than the it is the other way around.
Formula 1, thanks in part to the outstanding efforts of Liberty Media, has become one of the biggest and most popular sports in the world in recent years. Countries trip over each other to host a Grand Prix, millions watch the Grands Prix, revenues grow every year and sponsors are eager to commit to the competition.
And yes, the FIA also benefit from this. The motorsport federation are the regulator of the most important motorsport class and get a nice sum every year for that. But the FIA is one of many parties in the world of Formula 1. No one would dispute that the sport floats entirely on the drivers and the (current) ten teams. Should they at any point decide to look elsewhere, the FIA will have no choice.
Could F1 divorce the FIA?
An unrealistic scenario? At the moment, perhaps it is. But if there are too many issues that annoy F1 drivers and their employers, then surely, over a good glass of wine, important figures could philosophise about setting up our own F1 championship, one that is separate from the FIA. Remember: Once upon a time IndyCar thought it had all the power, until the teams left and created the Champ Car Series.
In order to have the sweet peace between drivers and teams on the one hand and the FIA on the other, it would be at least wise for the latter to begin talking with the people the federation so desperately need. Not for the first time, the drivers felt they were caught off guard by a decision of the FIA, at a time when the relationship between the two sides is already so fragile.
The question is to what extent the will FIA listen to the drivers' complaints. But surely no one wants some kind of war between them, especially when F1 is flourishing? And if things do escalate, an own racing class would be set up in no time.
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