President of the FIA accuses whistleblowers of trying to undermine his position and question the integrity of the organization. Mohammed Ben Sulayem made these claims in a letter addressed to FIA members, expressing that the allegations have caused significant disruption and challenges. The FIA’s ethics committee recently cleared Ben Sulayem of any wrongdoing after a month-long investigation that included interviews with 11 witnesses, including the president himself. The allegations claimed that Ben Sulayem intervened to overturn a penalty for Fernando Alonso at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and instructed officials not to certify the Las Vegas circuit for a high-profile race. Ben Sulayem believes these events were orchestrated to attack leadership and weaken the federation’s foundations. Currently, Formula 1 is in Australia for its third race of the season.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, a 62-year-old Emirati, was elected president of the FIA in December 2021. He is the first non-European and Muslim to hold this position. The FIA is made up of 242 members from motor sport and automobile clubs in 147 countries and oversees various entities, including Formula 1. Tensions between Ben Sulayem and the FIA have been particularly high in recent times. Throughout his tenure, Ben Sulayem’s leadership has come under scrutiny. He tried to impose a ban on drivers wearing jewelry in their cars, but faced opposition from seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who defiantly wore various accessories during a press conference in Miami in 2022. The FIA also attempted to ban drivers from making political statements, but Hamilton refused to be silenced and even called for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Palestine this week. When asked if Ben Sulayem had Hamilton’s support as president, the Mercedes driver categorically denied it.
After being cleared by the ethics committee, Ben Sulayem faced immediate criticism. Susie Wolff, head of the F1 Women’s Academy, wasted no time in filing a criminal complaint against the Paris-based FIA. Her complaint was based on the FIA’s brief investigation into her alleged conflict of interest in December.
The accusations against Wolff were that she had shared confidential information with her husband, Toto Wolff, who is the team principal of Mercedes. Both Wolffs vehemently denied any wrongdoing. Furthermore, all other nine F1 teams issued identical statements denying that they had complained about the Wolffs.
The FIA took a hands-off approach to the ongoing saga at Red Bull Racing. A team employee accused Christian Horner, the team principal, of misconduct. Red Bull’s parent company conducted an investigation into Horner and cleared him, while suspending the accuser at the same time.
Since then, the employee has hired a communications company, appealed the Red Bull findings to the parent company, and filed a complaint with the FIA’s ethics or compliance committees. These committees operate independently from the FIA. The FIA chose not to comment on whether they are investigating Horner, stating that it is the responsibility of the governing body, F1, to conduct any investigation at Red Bull.
Unfortunately, all the off-track drama has overshadowed the start of the season. Red Bull has dominated the first two races, with a one-two finish, and Max Verstappen, the current world champion, has won 19 of the last 20 races. However, these impressive performances have been overshadowed by the ongoing controversies.
In a letter, Ben Sulayem expressed his frustration with the FIA being a victim of leaks of confidential information. He stated that these leaks tarnished the organization’s reputation and caused concern among its members. Despite these attacks on its reputation and the FIA as a whole, Sulayem emphasized that they emerged stronger and more determined than ever. He reaffirmed his commitment to transparency, accountability, and unwavering integrity within the FIA. Sulayem concluded the letter reaffirming his dedication as president of the FIA.
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