Formula One president Mohammed Ben Sulayem faces allegation of interfering with 2023 Saudi Grand Prix race result
- BBC says it has seen a report in which whistleblower claims the president intervened to overturn a penalty given to Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso
- The double world champion was handed back the 100th podium of his career after a U-turn by officials hours after the finish in March 19 last year
The head of Formula One’s governing body, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, is under investigation for allegedly interfering in the outcome of last year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the BBC reported on Monday.
A spokesperson for the Paris-based International Automobile Federation (FIA), asked for a comment on the report, could not confirm any details but said “the matter is being discussed internally”.
Ben Sulayem, an Emirati, could not be reached immediately for comment.
The BBC said it had seen a report by FIA compliance officer Paolo Basarri to its ethics committee in which a whistleblower claimed the president had intervened to overturn a penalty given to Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
It alleged that Ben Sulayem called Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the FIA’s vice-president for sport for the Middle East and North Africa, who was in an official capacity at the race.
Double world champion Alonso was handed back the 100th podium of his Formula One career after a U-turn by officials hours after the finish in Jeddah on March 19 last year.