Mohammed Ben Sulayem makes bizarre Fernando Alonso F1 help claim

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has vowed to do what he can to keep Fernando Alonso in Formula 1. 

Ben Sulayem made the bizarre claim a day after Alonso cryptically stated there will be no clarity over his uncertain F1 future any time soon ahead of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix. 

Alonso’s contract with Aston Martin is set to expire at the end of the season but the two-time world champion is yet to decide whether he will continue racing in F1 next year, or switch to another series. 

Ben Sulayem said it wouldn’t be “acceptable” for Alonso to quit F1 due to Aston Martin’s current performance woes.

“There is no way we can allow Fernando Alonso, a great champion, to leave, just because of the circumstances,” Ben Sulayem said while speaking at the New Economy Forum in Madrid on Friday. 

“That’s not the way to leave the stage. He has to be successful and then he leaves whenever he wants, not because he was forced to leave with the performance.” 

Ben Sulayem revealed he has held talks with Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll about helping the Silverstone squad improve, though he did not disclose exactly how. 

“I share the issues, the car is not performing,” Ben Sulayem continued. “I met with the owner Lawrence [Stroll] yesterday and I am going to do the changes and I will talk to him [Alonso] to try to make him change his mind. It’s not acceptable. 

“I saw him very said and I said ‘Fernando, I understand. It’s not acceptable that you are coming to your own country as a two times world champion and you are at the last. 

“We did something earlier in May, legally, for the team, towards the engine, to go and improve. 

“Then I said to him ‘I’m not going to tell you what we are going to do. Please tell me what you want because you are the driver - tell me what do you want us to do to improve these results’.

“Suddenly you see everything change and then I get a call and then I had a meeting yesterday. We are here also to support.”