FIA chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem reportedly under investigation over alleged race result interference

The world of Formula 1 is currently abuzz with news that has put FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem in the spotlight for controversial reasons. An investigation has been initiated into allegations that Ben Sulayem attempted to influence the outcome of a Grand Prix race, a matter that has sent ripples through the motorsport community.

As per the BBC, the crux of the controversy lies in a report prepared by the motorsport governing body’s compliance officer, Paolo Basarri, and submitted to the ethics committee. This document suggests that Ben Sulayem took steps to reverse a penalty that had been assigned to Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin during the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Such actions, if proven true, could have significant implications for the integrity of the sport.

The issue came to light following accusations from a whistleblower, who claimed that Ben Sulayem reached out to Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. As the FIA vice-president for sport for the Middle East and North Africa region, Sheikh Abdullah was present at the race in Saudi Arabia in an official role. During their conversation, Ben Sulayem reportedly expressed his belief that Alonso's penalty ought to be annulled.

Originally, Alonso had been penalized with a ten-second penalty for receiving assistance on his car while serving an earlier five-second penalty. This sanction had the effect of relegating the Spanish driver from a podium finish to fourth place. However, the alleged intervention by Ben Sulayem to have this penalty removed restored Alonso to his position behind the leading Red Bull drivers, Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen, thereby allowing him to reclaim his spot on the podium.

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(With AP inputs)