What still bothers Mohammed bin Sulayem as President of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) about the premature awarding of the World Championship title in the 2022 Formula 1 season
Max Verstappen became Formula 1 World Champion in 2022 at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka without realizing it. He only found out about it after crossing the finish line, almost casually – during an interview in the pit lane. The reason for this were special circumstances in a race that was characterized by bad weather. And in the end, Formula 1 only drove 28 of the 53 actual race laps
The decisive factor for Verstappen was that he was awarded full points as the race winner, even though he had not completed the full distance. This promptly caused a lack of understanding among fans and a lot of criticism of the FIA. Because without full points, Verstappen would not have become champion in Suzuka.
This still bothers FIA President Mohammed bin Sulayem to this day, as he says: “We were not responsible for this.”
In fact, the world governing body did nothing wrong in the scoring of the Grand Prix, but implemented the Formula 1 rules correctly. In the 2022 season, the rules stated that reduced points would only be awarded if a race was shortened by red flags and finished under a red flag.
Although the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix was interrupted by a red flag on lap two following an accident involving Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, the race was later resumed. And when Verstappen was finally waved off, it was green. Formula 1 simply ran out of time for more laps that afternoon in Suzuka because the three-hour limit had been reached
Some situations seem unfortunate, says bin Sulayem
In the external perception, the world federation is pilloried for such supposed mistakes, says bin Sulayem. “The blame always lies with us, although [in this specific case] the teams had agreed on this.”
“It wasn’t the FIA that created the points system, but the teams, the Formula 1 management and us [together]. Everyone voted for [this regulation], but it’s always just us who are blamed.”
Nevertheless, bin Sulayem admits that it is unfortunate that such situations occur or, as in 2023, that the title is decided in a sprint race on the Saturday before a Grand Prix. But: “That’s the way the system is.” And that’s what the participants agreed to together.
Likewise, criticism in the race only ever falls back on the world governing body, says bin Sulayem, referring specifically to time penalties: “If you give the penalty early, it’s interpreted as a distraction. If you give the penalty later, it should have come earlier. We can’t win anything there,” said the FIA President.
