The FIA was cleared of any wrongdoing following an investigation into allegations of interference in the management of two events in the 2023 Formula 1 season. According to initial reports from the British publication BBC, president Mohammed Ben Sulayem was accused by a whistleblower of attempting to exert undue influence on F1 procedures on two separate occasions. The first complaint related to last year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where Ben Sulayem was accused of instructing race officials to overturn a penalty that had been imposed on Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso. Aston Martin subsequently filed a review petition, which included video evidence of similar infractions committed by other teams without facing penalties. The second complaint related to the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, with allegations that Ben Sulayem had instructed against the homologation of the new track for races. The FIA Compliance Department conducted an investigation into these allegations and the results were subsequently reviewed by the FIA Ethics Committee. The Ethics Committee unanimously concluded that there was not enough evidence to support the interference allegations. The FIA described the investigation as comprehensive, independent, and lasting 30 days, during which 11 witnesses were interviewed. The Ethics Committee had access to solid evidence that unequivocally cleared Ben Sulayem of any wrongdoing. Ben Sulayem assumed the position of FIA president in December 2021, succeeding Jean Todt’s long tenure in a four-year term.
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