- FIA acknowledges allegation report
- Ben Sulayem’s intervention alleged
- Ethical, compliance review ongoing
A report “detailing potential allegations involving certain members of its governing body” has surfaced, the Formula One governing body FIA, acknowledging the existence of such allegations concerning its president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. In doing so, the FIA has broken its silence on the matter.
A report to the ethics committee from the compliance administrator of the motorsport governing body, Paolo Basarri, claims Ben Sulayem intervened to overturn a ten-second penalty assessed to Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
A whistleblower has claimed that Ben Sulayem called Sheikh Abdullah bin Isa al-Khalifa, the FIA’s vice president for sport for the Middle East. Al-Khalifa was present in Saudi Arabia in an official capacity for the race. Sheikh Abdullah bin Isa was allegedly informed by Ben Sulayem that he believed Alonso’s sanction ought to be overturned.
F1’s governing body stated on Tuesday. The statement continued, “The FIA hereby verifies that a report containing potential allegations against specific members of its governing bodies has been received by the compliance officer.”
“By standard procedure, the compliance department is evaluating these concerns to ensure that due process is strictly adhered to.”
Following a deduction that had dropped him to fourth, the elimination of Alonso’s penalty, which had been imposed for maintenance performed on his vehicle during his previous five-second sanction, reinstated him to the podium, trailing only the Red Bull duo of race victor Sergio Pérez and Max Verstappen in second place.
There was no indication at the time that the decision was improper, following the sporting director of Aston Martin, Andy Stevenson, submitting the team’s case to the stewards for review. George Russell of Mercedes-Benz would have climbed to third position had Alonso’s 10-second penalty stood.
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A further allegation stated that Ben Sulayem had instructed officials not to certify the Las Vegas circuit for the Grand Prix the previous year. A spokesman for the FIA stated, “The Las Vegas circuit approval adhered to FIA protocol about inspection and certification, which was crucial for safety and sport.”
“As you are likely aware, the track’s accessibility for inspection was hindered by the ongoing construction activities of the local organizer.”
The FIA’s response to the allegations about Ben Sulayem coincides with the ongoing struggle of Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, to maintain his position in the wake of allegations levied against him by a female colleague. The claims have always been denied by Horner.
