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The head of F1’s governing body faces allegations of interference in the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
The 2024 Formula 1 season is only in its early stages, but so far the biggest news has been made off-the-track, not on it.
The latest off-track saga? Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the President of the FIA, is facing an investigation into allegations that he tried to interfere in the results of the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. According to a report from BBC Sport, a whistleblower has told the FIA — motorsport’s governing body — that Ben Sulayem allegedly intervened to overturn a penalty handed down to Fernando Alonso at last year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
During the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Alonso was given a five-second penalty early in the race for starting outside his grid box. Alonso served his five-second penalty on his first pit stop, but race officials reviewed that pit stop and determined that the rear jack had touched Alonso’s AMR23 before the full five-second penalty had elapsed.
As a result, race officials handed down a ten-second penalty. Alonso finished third in the race and celebrated on the podium, but then was informed that the ten-second penalty dropped him down to P3, and promoted Mercedes driver George Russell up to P3.
Aston Martin, Alonso’s team, immediately launched a protest. That proved successful, and the FIA rescinded the punishment. Aston Martin pointed to other teams performing a similar act without punishment, as well as a lack of clarity in the rules regarding what constitutes “working” on the car. Alonso was reinstated as the third-place finisher, and Russell eventually returned the trophy to him.
As an aside, the teams and drivers had some fun with the trophy exchange:
Now, according to the whistleblower complaint — which BBC Sport has reviewed — Ben Sulaymen contacted Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamas bin Isa Al Khalifa, the FIA’s VP for Sport in the Middle East and Africa region, and made it clear that in his mind, Alonso’s penalty should be revoked.
In the report it is further alleged that Ben Sulayem “required or expected” the stewards to overturn the penalty decision.
Furthermore, BBC Sport has “verified the information with several senior figures at high levels in F1 and close to the FIA. None would go on the record, but all said they had the same information.”
These allegations are just the latest controversy that Ben Sulaymen has faced during his FIA tenure. Last year he received a “cease-and-desist” letter from F1’s lawyers regarding comments he made on the potential value of F1 in a sale. He also faced a firestorm over comments made on his old website where he is quoted as saying he does “not like women who think they are smarter than me.”
Ben Sulaymen has also been very vocal in his support of the potential Andretti-Cadillac F1 Team. That bid was denied by Formula One Management at the end of January.
