Formula One has seen major upheavals recently. Externally, the racing series is joining hands with its competitors from the other side of the world. Recently, Andretti Global and General Motors joined hands with F1, fixing an 11th car (Cadillac) to appear on the grid next season. But the sport’s internal upheaval is causing quite a flurry of responses among fans. Recent events saw several veterans leave F1 – mostly against their will.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem took over as FIA president from Jean Todt in December 2021. Ever since then, his tenure has been overshadowed by questionable executive calls. Ranging from handling the controversial ending to the Abu Dhabi season to taking drivers to task for swearing, Sulayem has attracted criticism. Yet fans applauded his latest purge within F1, calling for more.

Trimming out the F1 management

Recently, several dismissals have been reported inside the F1 fold. Deputy Formula 2 race director Janette Tan inexplicably lost her position. Former F1 race director, Niels Wittich, and FIA compliance officer, Paolo Basarri, also left their roles a week ago. Last year, the racing series lost a big contingent of people – like sporting director Tim Nielsen, technical director Tim Goss, managing director Natalie Robyn, and head of commission for women Deborah Mayer. In the latest round of purges, Ben Sulayem sacked a veteran of the sport – Tim Mayer, who has served as an unpaid steward for 15 years.

Tim Mayer’s reputation in the sport was not challenged. Over the years, he became synonymous with fairness, integrity, and an unmatched understanding of the intricacies of Formula 1. However, a recent incident at the United States Grand Prix turned things haywire. Following a track invasion by fans, Circuit of The Americas appealed, and Mayer oversaw the right of review of the penalty – seeking to drop it from €500,000 to €350,000. Ben Sulayem apparently “took offense” at these actions. Immediately after, Mayer was sacked from his role as a leading steward, not being called up since last month’s Mexican Grand Prix.

Mayer was infuriated with how the decision was made. Instead of directly contacting him, one of Ben Sulayem’s assistants texted him to let Mayer know of his firing. “In spite of the matter being resolved quietly and amicably, he’s still upset and decided to fire me. After 15 years of volunteering my time as a steward, a decade teaching other stewards, and hundreds of hours volunteering in other roles, I got a text from one of his assistants.” However, more such sacking may be on the way. Johnny Herbert, another prominent steward, rattled Max Verstappen about a penalty recently.

F1 fans admittedly would love to see Ben Sulayem extending his firing spree to Herbert as well.

Sirens of approval ring across the community

True, Tim Mayer had been a highly respected F1 steward. Being 58 years old, he had risen to the esteemed role of chairman. However, one caveat lay in his impeccable reputation, which may have caused a bias in his role as the steward. As the son of McLaren co-founder Teddy Mayer, Tim tended to tilt his favor toward McLaren drivers like Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. So fans approved Ben Sulayem’s decision. “Rightly so, he was always going to favour McLaren always, shouldn’t of been a steward go begin with.” Another fan chimed in with a brutal opinion, “lets goooooooo clowns had a mclaren bias fraud as a steward and only know realized.”

Amidst this sacking spree, more such dismissals may be on the way. And fans are betting on the next one to involve Johnny Herbert. At the US Grand Prix, Herbert penalized Lando Norris for overtaking Max Verstappen. Then a week later at the Mexico City Grand Prix, Verstappen received two 10-second penalties for his driving against Norris. This inconsistency in penalty assessments ignited criticism of Herbert. So after Ben Sulayem fired Mayer, fans wanted Herbert to be next. “Finally @Ben_Sulayem doing what’s great. Now Ben time to sack Johnny Herbert.” Another fan was all in for expelling every ounce of bias from the sport: “W, bro was way too biased. Hope Johnny is next.”

In response to Herbert’s inconsistent penalties, even Verstappen’s father was infuriated. Jos Verstappen protested against Herbert handing out a 5-second penalty and then immediately after a 10-second penalty. This lack of rhythm also riled up one fan, who supported Ben Sulayem’s purging trend. “It is not surprising that stewards and a race director who were not doing a good job were dismissed. They were hurting the sport by handing out inconsistent penalties, upsetting the #F1 world. #QatarGP”

Evidently, people are supporting the trimming of the F1 management. As the season rolls to an end, let us see which fresh faces join the fold next year.