Motorsport chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem is below investigation after allegedly interfering with a Formula 1 race outcome.
It’s alleged the FIA president – who was elected to succeed Jean Todt in December 2021 – stepped in to overturn a penalty awarded to Fernando Alonso on the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Alonso, 42, was given a five-second penalty for putting his automobile partially outdoors his beginning field at first of the race, which was served on the first pit cease.
However, the Spaniard was then given a 10-second penalty for allegedly engaged on his automobile in the course of the cease, which dropped him third all the way down to fourth. But that punishment was overturned after the race as Aston Martin driver Alonso took his podium place again off Mercedes‘ George Russell.
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BBC Sport stated it has seen the report during which the declare was made by FIA compliance officer Paolo Basarri to his ethics committee after it was first raised by a whistleblower. The FIA has not responded to Daily Star Sport’s request for remark.
It’s the whistleblower’s declare that Ben Sulayem phoned Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa – the FIA’s vice-president for sport for the Middle East and North Africa – and urged that Alonso’s penalty be scrubbed.
(Image: Getty Images)
BBC Sport highlighted a passage from Basarri’s report, which stated the whistleblower reported that Ben Sulayem “pretended the stewards to overturn their decision to issue” the penalty to Alonso. It’s famous “pretendere” is Italian for “to require or expect.”
The justification for overturning the choice on the time spoke of a dialogue that had taken place between the groups and the FIA with reference to engaged on vehicles whereas enterprise a penalty within the pits. It stated: “We concluded that there was no clear agreement, as was suggested to the stewards previously, that could be relied upon to determine that parties had agreed that a jack touching a car would amount to working on the car.”
(Image: Getty Images)
At the time, article 54.4c) of the sporting rules stated: “While a car is stationary in the pit lane as a result of incurring a penalty in accordance with Articles 54.3a) or 54.3b) above, it may not be worked on until the car has been stationary for the duration of the penalty.”
After the race – and after the Alonso scenario – a further sentence was added: “In this context, touching the car or driver by hand or tools or equipment will all constitute working.”
Ben Sulayem’s predecessor, Todt, was a celebrated determine within the FIA sizzling seat and reigned from 2009 to 2021, having beforehand held high-ranking roles at Ferrari for 15 years.