Off-track turmoil a blemish on stunning F1 season

While the on-track action in Formula One these days continues to thrill with the closeness of qualifying times and some pretty decent racing, matters behind the scenes threaten to move the sport closer to conflict with its governing body.

- David Tremayne

There is little love lost between Formula One Management (FOM), the body tasked by F1 owner Liberty Media with running the business of the sport, and the International Automobile Federation (FIA), whose job is to govern it.

Neither the soon-to-retire Greg Maffei, the president and chief executive officer of Liberty Media, nor FOM CEO Stefano Domenicali were happy in the past when FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem took it upon himself to attempt a valuation of the sport when other Middle Eastern parties appeared to express interest.

And after something of a mine's-bigger-than-yours battle, things seem to have settled down, with FOM calling the shots and the FIA gratefully receiving generous remuneration for its role.

Lately, however, an argument has broken out between the FIA (read Ben Sulayem) and the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), which represents all 20 of the drivers on the grid and the various test and reserve drivers.