Bernie Ecclestone offers strong defence of FIA president: 'He's not in it for himself'

Bernie Ecclestone has offered a strong defence of FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, believing the Emirati has been trying to "get everything working fairly."

Ben Sulayem was first elected to the presidency in 2021 to succeed Jean Todt, and was re-elected in 2025 to another four-year term. 

There has been strong criticism of Ben Sulayem's actions whilst in office, but he remains overwhelmingly popular with the member clubs of the FIA, which ultimately vote for the president.

Ecclestone, who stepped down as F1 CEO after it was sold to Liberty Media ahead of the 2017 season by CVC Capital Partners, felt it was "not an easy task" to see what Ben Sulayem had "done wrong" and praised his efforts to return F1 to V8 or V10 engines.

"Well, I'm trying to think of anything he's done wrong, which is not an easy task," Ecclestone told selected invited media, including RacingNews365.

"I think he's trying to get everything working fairly and a little bit up to date. Unfortunately, like all these things, you can't be 1,000,000% right all the time. 

"But I can't see anything that he's done at the moment that he shouldn't have done, and there are one or two things which I hope are going to be sorted in the future."

When pushed on this, Ecclestone pointed out Ben Sulayem's push for a return to V8 or V10 engines.

"A three-litre engine," he said. "I don't care if it is a V8 or a V10 or a V12, certainly you all need to be happy, and I think it is the right thing to do."

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Strong financial results from the FIA

Ahead of the Austrian GP, the FIA announced its strongest set of financial results in 10 years, with an operating profit of €6.7m for the 2025 financial year, marking a raise of 43% year-on-year. In the 2021 financial year, an operating loss of €-24m was recorded.

Overall operating revenue was €191.7m for the 2025 year, an increase of 75% since the 2021 financial year.

Asked about Ben Sulayem's role in turning the FIA around, Ecclestone praised the former rally champion's efforts. 

"It is a difficult job to do, because he inherited things which he didn't start, so he wasn't like Liberty [Media], he was voted in to do something which he had no idea," Ecclestone added.

"He had no idea exactly what he was going to do, so since he's been here, he's been finding out all the things to do and not to do, and I think he's done a super job financially.

"He's getting the FIA in the position it should have been before, and there is no reason why, if they make money, it is criminal. 

"We have an organisation to keep, and they need finance to keep it, and they need finance to do all the other things he's doing to help all the clubs generally. 

"He doesn't take any money, he's not in there for himself financially, so he is there to do the best he can for the sport he is looking after."