FIA chief faces allegation of interference at 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

LONDON – The head of Formula One’s governing body, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, is under investigation for allegedly interfering in the outcome of the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the BBC reported on March 4.

A spokesperson for the Paris-based International Automobile Federation (FIA), when asked for a comment on the report, could not confirm any details but said that “the matter is being discussed internally”.

Ben Sulayem, an Emirati, also 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 had called Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the FIA’s vice-president for sport for the Middle East who was in an official capacity at the race.

The report, according to the BBC, said the whistleblower reported that Ben Sulayem “pretended the stewards to overturn their decision to issue” the penalty to Alonso.

In Italian, the word “pretendere” means to require or expect.

Two-time world champion Alonso was then 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, 2023.

The then 41-year-old Spaniard had finished third but was initially demoted to fourth by a 10-second post-race penalty for failing to serve properly a five-second penalty for an error in placing his car on the starting grid.

Stewards found the rear jack was in contact with the car before the five seconds were up.

The second penalty, imposed more than 30 laps after his pitstop, was then reversed when his team won a right to review after presenting new evidence to support their case.

The new evidence included the minutes of a sporting advisory committee meeting and video of “seven different instances where cars were touched by the jack while serving a similar penalty... without being penalised”.

Ben Sulayem’s alleged intervention of race results is the latest in a series of controversies to embroil him since he was elected in December 2021.

In November, the 62-year-old defended historical sexist remarks on his website.

“What did I say, if I said it? Let’s assume it was (me). I tell you exactly what it said. It says: ‘I hate when women think they are smarter than us’,” he said then.

“Did I say we are smarter? No. Did I say they are less smarter? No. For God’s sake, if that is the only thing they have against me, please be my guest.”

In other news, Red Bull boss Christian Horner met with the manager of his driver Max Verstappen on March 4 in the wake of public criticism and a recently put-to-bed wrongdoing investigation, according to multiple media reports.

The principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing saw allegations of inappropriate behavior dismissed last week, but has since weathered negative public comments from Verstappen’s father, Jos, in recent days.

The two were seen engaged in a public argument at the Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend, when the younger Verstappen took first place.

Jos, a former Formula One driver himself, said in part, “the team is in danger of being torn apart”, also telling The Daily Mail that “there is tension while (Horner) remains in position”.

Red Bull responded on March 4 in a statement to CNN, saying, “This is untrue. We are united as a team and we are concentrating on racing.”

Verstappen, 26, is a three-time F1 world champion and has won 55 grand prix races. He is managed by Raymond Vermeulen, who took the meeting with Horner. Senior Red Bull figures were also said to be present. 

It was unclear what the talk was about but a source said it “went well”.

Horner has been at the helm of Red Bull since 2005 and said following the Bahrain race that he was “absolutely confident” he would stay on as team principal. REUTERS, AFP