Günther Steiner has criticised FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem over the prospect of regulatory measures designed to help Aston Martin become more competitive in 2027, arguing that the Silverstone team must solve its own Formula 1 problems rather than rely on the governing body.
Ben Sulayem’s comments ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend in Madrid sparked considerable debate after he made clear his desire to prevent Fernando Alonso from leaving Formula 1 because of Aston Martin’s lack of competitiveness. For Steiner, however, sporting performance should remain the responsibility of the individual team.
Ben Sulayem’s Aston Martin comments spark criticism
The FIA president’s intervention came amid an extremely difficult 2026 season for Aston Martin, which has remained near the bottom of the championship despite entering the year with major expectations surrounding its new Honda works partnership.
Ben Sulayem suggested that regulatory action could be considered for 2027 to improve the situation, saying Formula 1 could not afford to lose a driver of Alonso’s stature simply because his machinery was not competitive enough.
The comments have attracted criticism even though Aston Martin currently poses little threat to the leading teams. If the team were to benefit from future regulatory adjustments and suddenly become much more competitive, however, Ben Sulayem’s words would inevitably be revisited by rivals questioning whether the governing body had intervened too directly.
The wider situation is particularly sensitive because Honda is still working to close its performance deficit, with the manufacturer recently showing some signs of engine progress while preparing bigger changes for 2027.
Günther Steiner: Aston Martin must solve its own problems
Steiner, who spent years running Haas as one of Formula 1’s smaller teams, believes helping a manufacturer-backed operation such as Aston Martin would be unfair to competitors working with considerably fewer financial resources.
“In F1, it’s not about deserving something. You have to work to get to that level. You have to want to get there, not deserve it,” Steiner said.
“What does ‘deserve’ mean? Nobody deserves anything. Aston Martin can sort itself out and it has to sort itself out. It’s their problem, not the FIA’s problem.”
For Steiner, the principle goes beyond Aston Martin or Alonso. Every Formula 1 team faces the same fundamental challenge of building a competitive package within the regulations, and poor performance alone should not create an entitlement to assistance from the governing body.
Steiner points to Cadillac in FIA fairness debate
The former Haas team principal used Cadillac as an example to underline his argument. The American newcomer has endured an even more difficult debut campaign and remains in greater need of performance gains than Aston Martin.
“What should Cadillac say, then? That they deserve better? That they need help?” Steiner asked.
“They actually need help much more than Aston Martin does.”
Steiner’s argument is therefore centred on competitive equality. Aston Martin may be struggling despite Lawrence Stroll’s heavy investment and Alonso’s uncertain future, but the former Haas boss believes those circumstances should remain issues for the team itself to resolve.
With the debate over Formula 1’s 2027 regulations and power unit development continuing, Ben Sulayem’s comments are likely to remain under scrutiny. Any measure that benefits Aston Martin or Honda will inevitably be examined not only for its technical impact, but also for whether the same opportunities are available fairly across the grid.
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