According to a report by the BBC, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), is currently under investigation for allegedly influencing the outcome of a Formula 1 race. Paolo Basarri, the sport’s compliance officer, presented his findings to the ethics committee, claiming that Ben Sulayem tried to overturn a penalty imposed on Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin during the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The FIA was approached for comment, but is expected to refrain from making any statements on the matter due to the ongoing investigation conducted by the autonomous ethics committee. The controversy stems from allegations made by a whistleblower, who claims that Ben Sulayem contacted Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, FIA vice president for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and expressed his belief that Alonso’s penalty should be overturned. The penalty in question involved a ten-second time addition to Alonso’s race, initially relegating him from a podium position to fourth place. However, after Aston Martin’s sporting director appealed to the race stewards and the decision was reviewed, the penalty was rescinded, allowing Alonso to reclaim his place on the podium. At the time, there were no public suspicions of any irregularities regarding the removal of the penalty.
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