FIA raises concerns over ‘inaccurate’ reporting of allegations on President Mohammed Ben Sulayem

The FIA slammed the media for reporting certain aspects of the allegations against Mohammed Ben Sulayem inaccurately.

FIA raises concerns over ‘inaccurate’ reporting of allegations on President Mohammed Ben Sulayem

Mohammed Ben Sulayem (via IMAGO).

Formula 1 is going through a controversial period. Days after Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner was cleared of inappropriate behavior allegations, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem was put under investigation for two different accusations. The sports governing body had previously released a statement about the situation. Now, the FIA has slammed the reporting of the same.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem was first put under investigation for allegedly meddling in an F1 race result. The FIA President allegedly tried to overturn Fernando Alonso‘s penalty at the 2023 Saudi Arabian GP. Moreover, the 62-year-old has been accused of trying to withhold Las Vegas GP certification to allegedly prevent the sport from racing in Sin City.

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The FIA had confirmed that its Compliance Officer received a report of allegations on Ben Sulayem. The Emirari would soon be questioned by the Ethics Committee of the sports governing body. It is rumored that the whistleblower who exposed these allegations was a former FIA employee who now works for F1.

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The FIA raised concern that the news of the allegations had been disclosed to the media without the permission of the sports governing body. Moreover, the spokesperson claimed that certain aspects of the allegations were inaccurately reported by the media. 

It is unfortunate and a source of great concern that the matter has been disclosed to the media without any prior authorization and that certain elements of the report were inaccurately reported.
An FIA Spokesperson told AP

Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s career could be at risk amidst recent allegations

Mohammed Ben Sulayem took over the reins of FIA President from Jean Todt in December 2021. The 62-year-old has faced major challenges during his tenure so far. Moreover, Ben Sulayem has conflicted with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali on a handful of occasions.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Jean Todt
Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Jean Todt (Via IMAGO)

However, the recent allegations might be the biggest challenge for Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The post of President of the FIA is undoubtedly the biggest role in the world of governing motorsport. It is integral that the FIA President remains unbiased in all situations and does not bring in their personal interests.

The claims made against Mohammed Ben Sulayem are severe as they include potentially trying to interfere with an F1 race result which jeopardizes transparency and fairness. Moreover, the alleged attempt to not sanction the Las Vegas GP circuit could further destroy the career of the Emirati.

Certainly, it will be interesting to see how Mohammed Ben Sulayem handles the investigations. The 62-year-old would try to clear his name from all allegations made by the whistleblower. However, it remains to be seen how things will pan out for the FIA President in the coming days.

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