Mohammed Ben Sulayem targeted by an investigation into race results manipulation
The president of the FIA is suspected of having used his powers to have a penalty cancelled for Fernando Alonso during the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The investigations are continuing. While the saga around Christian Horner attracts crowds, the public should be fascinated by another likely scandal. According to a whistleblower, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of F1, is reportedly under investigation.
The latter would have intervened, after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, to have a penalty against Fernando Alonso cancelled. As a reminder, the Spaniard was penalized for incorrectly placing his car on the starting grid. A maneuver that was penalized by five seconds. Such a penalty would have cost him his podium.
One of the reasons mentioned by the whistleblower would come from the sponsors of Aston Martin, the team for which the double world champion races. The team is supported by the oil giant Aramco, whose headquarters is in Saudi Arabia. And the latter, apparently, did not want to lose a podium at home.
This statement appears in a report written by a compliance officer of the FIA to its ethics committee, which was consulted by BBC Sport. The British media contacted various sources at the Federation who reportedly confirmed the information. The president of the FIA did not respond to the various requests.
