Amid controversy over the resumption of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Hamilton chose to skip Thursday’s FIA Awards in Paris with Mercedes chief Toto Wolf following a disappointing safety car era at the game.
Hamilton’s absence as a driving championship runner – up appears to have violated F1’s rules of the game.
Section 6.6 of the rules of the game states: “The first three drivers in the championship stages must attend the annual FIA Awards.”
One of Ben Sulaim’s first responsibilities after assuming the leadership of the FIA was to determine whether Hamilton’s absence from the event was against the law.
Speaking at his first press conference as head of the federation, Emirati said: “Laws are ultimately laws.”
He added, “So we’ll see the relevant laws, if he violates them? I have to see it.”
“Of course we have to follow our rules. But in the meantime, that doesn’t stop the champion from feeling good about the game.”
He continued, “It’s easy for people to be nice. Being nice is not expensive. It’s encouraging people too. But if there is any violation, it will not be tolerated.”
Bin Suleiman said it was important for the FIA to realize that Hamilton had broken the rules, as he admitted that the world champion was “broken” by last weekend’s events.
When asked if he really rejects tolerance, Bin Suleiman replied, “Tolerance always exists, but laws are laws. We will look at laws.”
And, “As I always say, laws are not made by themselves, they are made by humans, and they can be improved and changed by humans. So laws need to be improved.”
He continued, “I know Louis is very upset about what happened. I will say a word that he broke up. But we need to look at the possibility of breaking the rules.”
“I can not decide that after a few hours as president, and I will not start giving answers until I return to the facts,” he concluded.
If Hamilton is found guilty, he will receive a financial penalty for his absence rather than a sports penalty.
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