After the Christian Horner case, Formula 1 may be hit by the next big scandal. According to a media report, FIA boss Mohammed Ben Sulayem is accused of interfering in a race result.
Formula 1 is not coming to rest. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem is apparently being investigated internally. As the BBC reports, a whistleblower has told the automobile betting association that Ben Sulayem allegedly intervened in a 2023 Formula 1 race to reverse a penalty against Fernando Alonso.
This accusation is contained in the report of a compliance officer at the FIA, which is available to the BBC. The British broadcaster had the information confirmed by other insiders.
The case lies with the FIA Ethics Committee
The FIA boss and the association have not yet commented on the allegations. The ethics committee’s report is expected in four to six weeks.
According to the BBC, the whistleblower described that the FIA President Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamas bin Isa Al Khalifa was said to have called. He was an official at the 2023 F1 race in Saudi Arabia. Ben Sulayem is said to have called for a subsequent 10-second penalty against Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) to be lifted. The report by compliance officer Paolo Basarri mentions the Italian word “pretendere”, which means to demand or expect.
The F1 veteran received a ten-second penalty after the race in Saudi Arabia because the team was said to have been working on the Aston Martin car during a previous five-second penalty. Due to the new penalty, Alonso fell from third place back to fourth place. George Russell (Mercedes) has now moved up to third place. But after a protest from Aston Martin, the penalty against Alonso was withdrawn and the Spaniard was able to keep his podium place.
George Russell finished fourth, while Red Bull celebrated a one-two with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez at the front.