Ben Sulayem cleared of wrongdoing after FIA investigation - reports

The FIA’s Compliance Department had been looking into claims made against the Emirati by a whistleblower about two separate incidents that occurred during 2023 F1 season.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. | Photo Credit: Reuters

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been cleared of any wrongdoing after allegations were made against him of interference in Formula 1 events last year.

The FIA’s Compliance Department had been looking into claims made against the Emirati by a whistleblower about two separate incidents that occurred during 2023 F1 season.

The first allegation involved a suggestion that Ben Sulayem had interfered with the stewards’ decision to reverse a penalty handed down on Fernando Alonso at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The second incident referred last season’s showpiece Las Vegas GP. It was alleged that Ben Sulayem pushed for the FIA not to approve the track certification for F1’s newest venue.

However, following a probe by the FIA Compliance Officer and its six-person Ethics Committee, it was announced on Wednesday that there was no evidence that the FIA president had acted improperly.

The FIA’s investigations took 30 days to complete and included interviews with 11 witnesses.

In a statement issued by the motorsports’ governing body, it said: “After reviewing the results of the inquiries, the Ethics Committee were unanimous in their determination that there was no evidence to substantiate allegations of interference of any kind involving the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.”