FIA president brutally shuts down George Russell request with $100,000,000 comment as F1 row deepens

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the FIA, has spoken out against Formula One driver George Russell's request to bring full-time stewards into the sport.

In October, Mercedes driver Russell called for the FIA, the body that oversees F1, to bring in full-time employed, professional race stewards

The Brit believes that doing so would improve consistency regarding the big decisions and to help drivers interpret the official race guidelines.

However, the FIA president has spoken out about the Russell's request and he is not happy.

Ben Sulayem appears to have taken a dig at Russell over his request, pointing out that he does not tell the drivers how to spend the big wages they are given to compete in the sport.

“It’s very nice talk but when they say professional, and they want professional, they don’t want to pay for it. That is so obvious,” the 63-year-old told Autosport in his response.

“They talk and then they say: ‘Where are you putting the money? Why we don’t do this?’ But I don’t say, ‘Oh, sorry, what about you?’ The drivers are getting over $100million. Do I ask where they spend it? No, it’s up to them. It’s their right.

“So please, it’s not only me saying it is none of their business. We do whatever we do with our money. It’s our business. It’s also [the same] with them and their money. It’s their business."

The FIA president also revealed his frustrations about driver's and team officials complaining about decisions made in the sport and blaming the FIA.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem was appointed as the FIA President in December 2021. (Image: Getty)

He added: “But I don’t really sometimes understand. It’s always about the FIA. ‘Why are we doing this? Why are we doing that?’ But did anyone go to FOM?

"I say it again and again – stewards do not grow on trees. It takes time to educate them. It takes time to train them. And then you evolve them, so we have a programme.

“I see the point about having them maybe like the Premier League where they [the referees] are paid. But we don’t have the money to do that.

“So we have to be also very careful of the way we are going. As long as they are committed, fair, and they are trained properly, then there will be stewards who come and go.”