Sexist comments attributed to the head of Formula One's governing body and splashed across the media do not reflect the beliefs of president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA said on Saturday.
The 61-year-old, who was elected in 2021 and has recently been at odds with Liberty Media-run Formula One, was quoted by the Times newspaper and others as saying he did not like "women who think they are smarter than men, for they are not in truth".
An FIA spokesman said however that "the remarks in this archived website from 2001 do not reflect the president's beliefs."It was a central part of his manifesto and actions taken this year and the many years he served as vice-president for sport prove this." The FIA also has a commission on women in motorsport headed by Frenchwoman Deborah Mayer and a Girls on Track initiative aimed at increasing gender equality and female participation worldwide.
The timing comes after Formula One's top lawyer sent an extraordinary letter to the FIA earlier in the week accusing Ben Sulayem of interfering in the commercial rights "in an unacceptable manner".Ben Sulayem had questioned on Twitter a reported $20 billion valuation of the sport following reports of Saudi Arabian interest.
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