Ben Sulayem: Alonso Must Not Leave F1 in Uncompetitive Car
Mohammed Ben Sulayem insists it would be “not acceptable” for Fernando Alonso to walk away from Formula 1 while marooned in an uncompetitive car, as uncertainty over the Spaniard’s future hangs over a dismal Aston Martin season.
Alonso, 45, is out of contract at the end of the year and has made clear he will not rush a decision on whether to extend his F1 career, saying on Thursday his call would come “not soon”. Right now, there is little on track to tempt him: Aston Martin sit 10th in the constructors’ standings, their car off the pace and their Honda power-unit regarded as the weakest on the grid.
Ben Sulayem, speaking at an event in Madrid on Friday, made no attempt to hide his feelings about that prospect.
“There is no way we can allow Fernando to leave – Alonso, a great champion – to leave just because of the circumstances,” the FIA president said. “That’s not the way to leave the stage. He has to be successful and then he leaves whenever he wants, not because he was forced to leave because of the performance.”
The image is stark: a two-time world champion, racing in front of his home fans, fighting a car that cannot live with the front-runners. Ben Sulayem said he had sensed that frustration when he saw Alonso recently.
“I said to him, I saw him very sad,” he explained. “And I said, ‘Fernando, I understand, it’s not acceptable that you are coming to your own country and now after two times a world champion…’”
Behind the scenes, the FIA has already moved to ease the pain for Aston Martin’s engine partner. Ben Sulayem revealed that in May, the governing body acted “legally for the team towards the engine to go and improve”, opening the door for performance gains under Formula 1’s rules.
From there, he pushed the responsibility back towards the driver.
“Then I said to him: ‘I am not going to tell you what we are going to do. Please tell me what you want because you are the driver and come and tell me what do you want us to do to improve these results.’”
An FIA spokesperson later clarified that Ben Sulayem was referring to F1’s additional development and upgrade opportunities (Aduo) system. Under Aduo, any power-unit assessed to be more than 2% down on the benchmark is granted extra scope to upgrade its design in an otherwise tightly frozen engine era.
“It is a comment about the Aduo process and that he hopes FA stays in the sport,” the spokesperson said. “That is all.”
The remarks inevitably raised eyebrows. A president talking about “not allowing” a driver to leave, and about directly asking a current competitor what he wants the FIA to do, brushes close to questions about independence and overreach from the sport’s regulator.
Ben Sulayem’s presidency has already been marked by controversy over governance, including criticism that he has weakened internal checks and balances. So when he spoke so personally about Alonso’s situation, it prompted immediate scrutiny of where passion ends and influence begins.
Pressed on whether the comments hinted at undue interference in matters the FIA is supposed to administer objectively, the spokesperson pushed back.
“He is passionate about the drivers, having been one himself, and I really would not read too much into this,” they said.
For now, the official line is simple: a champion is suffering, a struggling engine manufacturer has been given extra development room under an established process, and the FIA president wants Alonso to remain on the grid.
The real question sits with Alonso. How long is he prepared to wait for that promised improvement – and does he still see a car capable of giving him the farewell he and his president believe he deserves?
