Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA president (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) has responded to the complaints by the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA). That organization led by George Russell in the name of all 20 Formula 1 drivers recently asked FIA to employ full time stewards, to ensure the consistency on penalties.
But Ben Sulayem has responded, saying it is "very nice talk", but complains the teams don't want to pay for it. "The drivers are getting over $100 million. Do I ask where they spend it? No, it's up to them. It's their right".
He adds that this isn't like football, when the referees are paid. FIA doesn't have the money to pay full-time stewards, "they do not grow on trees", he says. And argues that, ir order to have full time stewards, it should be Formula One Management (FOM) the one paying for them... which means, it should be the teams paying for them.
Ben Sulayem said that in the FIA ceremony in Rwanda, where Max Verstappen was condemned to do some "work of public interest" after swearing in a press conference.
After the GPDA complained for the absurd penalties, FIA said, two weeks ago, in an interview witg Motorsport, that how he rans FIA is
"none of people's business to interfere in ours".