In addition to the commotion surrounding Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, a few weeks ago there was also a lot of commotion surrounding Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The FIA president was suspected of abusing his position but was acquitted after an independent investigation.
It is notable that Mohammed Ben Sulayem was investigated for two possible violations. For example, Mohammed Ben Sulayem is said to have tried to intervene during the 2023 Saudi Arabian GP to have Fernando Alonso awarded a less severe time penalty, so that Alonso would finish on the podium.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem is also said to have abused his power to prevent the approval of the brand new street circuit just before the race weekend in Las Vegas started. If that had actually happened, the race would not have been able to continue. However, according to the FIA ethics committee, no evidence of this was found in either study.
No fewer than eleven people were interviewed for its research and the FIA said the following in a statement.
“The FIA Ethics Committee, supported by external advisors, has conducted a thorough investigation into allegations of possible interference in sporting decisions during F1 races in 2023. After reviewing the results of the investigation, the Ethics Committee was unanimous in its assessment that there was no evidence to support the allegations regarding FIA President Ben Sulayem.”
“A thorough and extensive independent investigation followed, which took thirty days and included interviews with eleven witnesses. The allegations against the FIA President were unfounded and compelling evidence was provided to support the decision of the FIA Ethics Committee.”
“The FIA president was cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to the allegations surrounding the races in Saudi Arabia and Las Vegas. The Chairman’s full cooperation, transparency and compliance was greatly appreciated.”
Following the recent investigation into Mohammed Ben Sulayem and the allegations against him, it has been confirmed that no evidence was found to support the claims made against him. The FIA Ethics Committee conducted a thorough and comprehensive investigation, involving interviews with numerous witnesses, to reach this conclusion.
It was alleged that Mohammed Ben Sulayem had attempted to influence the outcome of the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix by intervening to have Fernando Alonso receive a milder penalty. Additionally, there were claims that he misused his authority to prevent the approval of a new street circuit in Las Vegas just before the race weekend, which could have jeopardized the continuation of the race.
However, after careful examination of the facts, the Ethics Committee found that there was no substance to these allegations. The investigation, which lasted thirty days and included input from external advisors, concluded that Mohammed Ben Sulayem had not engaged in any inappropriate behavior.
The FIA president’s cooperation and transparency throughout the investigation were commended, and it was determined that he had not committed any wrongdoing in relation to the events at the Saudi Arabian and Las Vegas races. This exoneration demonstrates the importance of conducting thorough and fair investigations to uphold integrity in the sport.
It is vital for the governing bodies of motorsport to maintain a high standard of ethics and accountability, which was upheld in this case with the exoneration of Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The FIA’s commitment to conducting a comprehensive and impartial investigation reflects its dedication to promoting fairness and transparency in Formula 1.