A UK House of Lords peer has reportedly criticised FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem for failing to respond to a letter raising concerns over Formula 1 races being held in the Gulf region. Paul Scriven, a Liberal Democrat life peer, labelled Ben Sulayem “deeply discourteous and unprofessional” in a letter, according to The Independent , after he "completely ignored" a letter sent in March 2022 regarding events staged in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. “We wrote to you in order to raise concerns that are in the public interest, and we expect openness and transparency from the FIA. For the sake of clarity, I still expect to receive a response to our letter," it reportedly states. Lord Scriven called out the FIA for "facilitating sport washing" alongside 90 European Parliamentarians, adding on social media: "They think the millions of pounds hide them from public scrutiny. They don't and will be held to account."
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Dear @Ben_Sulayem , Yesterday, 90 European parliamentarians sent you this letter, which hasn't yet been acknowledged. Please ensure the @fia & @F1 heed these calls & put an urgent end to their sportswashing of ongoing abysmal violations in #Bahrain & the Gulf. pic.twitter.com/nCuYXOFhiJ — Paul Scriven🔶️🇺🇦 (@Paulscriven) March 17, 2022
Lords express concern over political statements stance
The letter sent to the FIA President also outlined their worries about the recent changes to the International Sporting Code, which effectively stops drivers from making political statements without prior consent from the governing body. In the correspondence, Lord Scriven is reported to have written: "It was with great concern that I learnt of the FIA's decision to suppress F1 drivers' voices from speaking out in what you deem to be political statements, a policy that will serve to shield F1 host countries from scrutiny over injustice. "It is very clear to me that this policy targets Sir Lewis Hamilton, your most outspoken driver, whose comments on countries with abysmal rights records, particularly Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, would have undoubtedly not been well received by these corrupt and abusive regimes." In terms of the commercial rights agreements between FIA and F1, grand prix race promoter contracts are the responsibility of Formula 1.
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