Steiner Slams Ben Sulayem Over Alonso Help: 'Nobody Deserves to Be in F1'

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has heavily criticized FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem's suggestion that the governing body could help Aston Martin retain Fernando Alonso. Steiner argued that no driver 'deserves' a place on the grid, and that Aston Martin's performance crisis is a team problem, not a federation problem.

Why it matters:

Ben Sulayem's comments, made before the Spanish Grand Prix, raised fresh questions about the FIA's role in team performance. With Alonso out of contract at the end of 2026 and already linked to Alpine or retirement, the FIA president's offer to intervene could set a dangerous precedent for how the sport's governing body handles competitive imbalance.

The details:

• Ben Sulayem said it was 'not acceptable' for Alonso to be uncompetitive and claimed he had told the two-time champion: 'Please tell me what you want us to do to improve these results.'
• An FIA spokesperson later clarified that the comments referred to the additional development and upgrade opportunities (ADUO) system.
• Steiner, appearing on The Red Flags Podcast, rejected the idea of entitlement: 'Nobody deserves to be there or be anywhere. You need to work to be there.'
• He also pointed to Cadillac, the new 11th team yet to score a point in 2026, as a squad that needs far more help than Aston Martin. 'They need a lot of help, by the way, a lot more than Aston Martin.'

What's next:

Alonso's future remains unresolved, but Steiner's blunt response underscores a growing debate about how much assistance the FIA should offer struggling teams. Aston Martin, with its own resources and facilities, is expected to sort out its own issues without relying on the governing body.