Sulayem is first Arab Steward at Grand Prix

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 FIA Vice President for Sport Mohammed Ben Sulayem is set to become the first Arab Formula 1 Steward when he joins a panel of adjudicators for this weekend’s Grand Prix at Istanbul Park.
 
Sulayem, who is also President of the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE), has been appointed on the three-member panel of Stewards for races seven and ten of the current Formula 1 season in Turkey and Hungary, respectively.
 
The role of a steward is to be the referee of an F1 event where there are three at each race and are expected to examine reports submitted to them by the various officials and listen to the explanations of all parties involved in the event of a dispute.
 
They then decide on sanctions if they conclude that punitive action is necessary, or may propose any other such action or recommendations they deem fit depending on their findings.
 
Sulayem’s new role as an F1 Steward comes at a time when Formula 1 team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes were accused of knowingly making untrue statements to Australian Grand Prix Stewards earlier this year.
 
Possible sanctions had ranged from a reprimand to suspension from the championship for a team who were fined a record $100 million and stripped of their constructors’ points over a spying controversy in 2007.
 
However, an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on April 29 decided to suspend action against McLaren after it admitted the charges of breaching articles of the International Sporting Code in Australia.

“There have been huge changes in the rules over the years – certain actions on track acceptable some two years ago may not be acceptable today,” Sulayem said.
“Obviously, this is a new responsibility and something that cannot be taken lightly – it’s not always easy to sit in judgement, especially me as I am a competitive driver myself.
 
“But sometimes if harsh decisions have to be taken in the larger interest of the sport, so be it,” he said ahead of his departure for Istanbul.
Further commenting on his new role, Sulayem noted that the entire action on rack is relayed live into the Steward’s making it possible for the team of adjudicators to follow proceedings very closely. “Even after more than 20 years in the sport, I continue to learn, a process I believe will never stop.” 
 
Turkey made its debut on the Formula One calendar in 2005 with an all-new purpose-built circuit in Istanbul. The 5.378-km track was designed by famed German architect Hermann Tilke, the man behind Sepang, Bahrain, Shanghai and the under-construction Yas Marina Circuit which makes its debut with the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November this year.

An unusual feature of the venue is that the lap runs anti clock-wise, making the Turkish Grand Prix one of only two races on the calendar to do so (Brazil being the other).
 

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