FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has dismissed suggestions that the newly appointed permanent deputy Formula 1 race director was selected because of her gender.
The sport's governing body frequently advocates for greater diversity, and at the recent FIA officials summit in Madrid, it highlighted "an equal gender split" among the latest group of 12 trainee stewards and race directors.
It has now been confirmed that while Rui Marques will continue in his role as the full-time F1 race director, he will be supported by Dutch official Claire Dubbelman, who has been named as the sport's new deputy race director.
According to De Telegraaf, Dubbelman has already played a significant role in F1 race control since 2023.
"You cannot simply throw someone into this great challenge," FIA president Ben Sulayem stated just a day before the news about Dubbelman's identity emerged. "It's very important," he added.
"What would happen if the race director got sick? It's the same as the FIA. If something happens to me tomorrow, the FIA will continue to function without me."
Ben Sulayem also pushed back against claims that the appointment of women or other diverse figures like Dubbelman was influenced by gender-based initiatives rather than her qualifications.
"We talk about diversity," he acknowledged, "but when they say 'You brought someone from this country, or you brought this person because she is a woman', that's an insult.
"We don't have women because we have to have 30 percent, we have women based on their merit and credibility. Because they are good. Because they are trained and they have the passion. Not because 'Oh, I have to have this colour, this religion'.
"Then you won't have a good FIA, a strong FIA," he told Marca sports newspaper.
