Ben Sulayem Stirs Up a Storm With Harsh Statements Against Women “Who Think They Are Smarter Than Men”

The life of the FIA’s president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been a living nightmare recently. Bad luck has been piling on the President for the last few weeks, all thanks to his own doing. Now, his sexist comment from the past, contrary to his stand on inclusivity in F1, has come back to haunt him some more.

The Times unearthed sexist comments made on his personal website, which was online in 2001, under the “Likes and Dislikes” section. The president is facing backlash on the sexist comment in addition to all the criticism he is facing for his recent comments about F1’s valuation, among other things.

The website revealed his likes and dislikes are “basically simple.” He wrote: “I love the desert and I love meeting real people.” However, Sulayem’s dislikes are what raised eyebrows. He confessed, not talking, “about money, nor do I like women who think they are smarter than men, for they are not in truth”.

These sexist comments, seen by many central figures are a huge embarrassment for the FIA and F1. An FIA spokesperson took the stand to control the PR damage.

He said, “The remarks on this archived website from 2001 do not reflect the FIA president’s beliefs. He has a strong record on promoting women and equality in sport, which he is happy to be judged on. It was a central part of his manifesto and actions taken this year and the many years he served as FIA Vice President for Sport prove this.”

Read More: F1 Drivers & Teams Oppose Ben Sulayem’s Recent Actions

There is no justification for Sulayem’s comments from the past. However, let’s look at what he had to say about FIA’s efforts to promote women in motorsport back in August 2022.

The FIA president Sulayem lauds FIA’s efforts to promote women in F1 and motorsport in general

A lack of diversity in motorsport has been an ongoing struggle for the past decade. However, only recently the sport has been taking active efforts to make F1 more accessible for women. This is exactly why Formula 1 started a women-only racing league for a clear path to the premier class.

The FIA is also making active efforts, and this is what Sulayem recently lauded, contrary to his sexist comments in the past. He said, “Throughout history, women have made their mark in motorsport, on and off track, and it is our desire, under my leadership, that the trend will continue for years to come.”

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Sulayem’s comments, albeit from the past, could make him answerable to a lot of people and might even result in his resignation. Even if he does not resign, the backlash will definitely be piling on soon.