Former Haas boss Günther Steiner said F1’s governing body “is no longer responsible for its mistakes” and that Lewis Hamilton is an obvious victim.
The FIA was recently in the spotlight in F1 circles after President Mohamed Ben Sulayem called for a stricter ban on swearing in F1 to differentiate the sport from “rap music.”
The first casualty was Max Verstappen, who was ordered to “take public interest action” after taking the oath at a press conference before the Singapore Grand Prix.
Günther Steiner criticizes the FIA for declaring Lewis Hamilton “eight-time champion”
Hamilton called Verstappen’s penalty a “joke” and urged them not to impose a penalty, but Verstappen protested to the FIA by keeping his answers very short at a subsequent press conference in Singapore, a tactic that WRC legend Sébastien Ogier adopted after feeling penalized.
This drew the ire of the FIA, who later claimed that “FIA leaders told us to shut up.”
And the FIA has not found much support from Steiner, who claims in his new book, Unfiltered, due to be published in October, that the FIA ”stopped taking responsibility for its own mistakes and lost its humility.
It’s not a good situation. ” He highlighted the highly controversial 2021 F1 title final in Abu Dhabi, where Max Verstappen took the crown from Hamilton on the final lap to become world champion for the first time after race director Michael Masi’s actions drew strong criticism.
Masi replaced Charlie Whiting after the latter’s tragic death just before the 2019 season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
Steiner said Hamilton would have been an eight-time world champion if Whiting had been in charge.
“Whatever your allegiance (and yes, I agree, it was incredible entertainment), from a rules perspective, it was a shit show of biblical proportions,” Steiner said, “and whatever decision Charlie Whiting would have made if I had been Michael Masi, there would be a lot less controversy and embarrassment.
“Oh my God. We all know what Charlie does. If he was in charge, Lewis would be an eight-time world champion by now. »
Lewis Hamilton joins Ferrari in Abu Dhabi cleanup 2021? FIA president Mohamed Ben Sulayem said he did not appreciate the recent criticism of the governing body and that it did not get the “honour” it deserves.
“We will never take loans. “That’s not possible,” he told Motorsport.com. “It will just produce rubbish. What I know.
“Looking at this, everyone earned FIA money. Everyone is allowed except the FIA.
That’s true. When I took office, the operating budget was minus 20 million. For what purpose? Because we earn as much as everyone else. But look at the promoter … it’s good for them, and I bless them, they are wise enough to do it. “
Hamilton goes to Ferrari for F1 2025 and continues to have the eighth title.