Racing Bulls CEO launches defence of FIA president after high-profile exits

Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer has insisted F1 teams need a “strong” governing body in light of sudden FIA exits late last year.

However, the Austrian highlighted it is not in the interest of the current squads to dictate the manner in which the FIA should operate.

F1 race director Niles Wittich suddenly departed the FIA last year prior to the Las Vegas Grand Prix before senior steward Tim Mayer and Formula 2 race director Janette Tan exited the organisation prior to the race weekend in Qatar.

It raised questions over how FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is running the governing body.

Speaking exclusively to RacingNews365, Bayer asserted it was not the business of the F1 to involve itself in the process.

“I would lie if I would say no,” Bayer said when asked if he was concerned by the volume of exits. “It’s always difficult because I don't want anyone to comment on the way I'm running the business [at Racing Bulls].

“So who are we to comment on how the elected president of the FIA is running his business?”

However, Bayer highlighted the importance of having a governing body the F1 teams can rely on.

“At the same time, I think we as teams, we need a strong FIA,” he said.

“Everyone here is so competitive, it’s a cut-throat business that if you're not having one entity that is neutral and stays out of all our daily shenanigans, then it becomes very difficult.”

Bayer issues FIA rally call over stability concerns

Prior to his role at Racing Bulls, Bayer worked at the FIA in a senior role.

Amid the recent period of unrest, Bayer has backed the governing body to return to a stable position going forward.

“A strong FIA guarantees that F1 remains a sport,” he said. “It doesn't become a show, or a WWE sort of activity.

“How do you achieve strength? In my view, by building up stability and reliability. Even as an F1 team, we've seen that in other teams, you can buy geniuses, but it doesn't guarantee you success.

“That’s why it's so important for the FIA to hopefully soon settle on a path and then grow the structure, make sure that we have enough good people.”

Bayer also reflected on his own experience with the organisation and highlighted its value to F1 team members as an employment platform.

“When I spoke to Jean Todt [former FIA president], when we left, the FIA became from what was a last exit before retirement, it became a very attractive employer.

“People were coming in. They stayed for a couple of years, and then they went back into the sport into leading positions.

“There are many examples, Laurent [Mekies] being the first one at the top of my head. Marcin Bukowski back in the day, even myself.

“We had built something, which was built on continuity, stability, relations, and transparency. That’s very important, and I think that's what we're probably asking the governing body to provide us.”