Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the current president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the governing body for various auto racing events, including Formula One, is currently under investigation for alleged interference in the results of the 2023 F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
A whistleblower has reported to the FIA that Ben Sulayem intervened in the race by influencing the overturning of a penalty imposed on Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso.
The FIA chief reportedly contacted Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who holds the position of the governing body's vice president for sport in the Middle East and North Africa, and said that he believed the sanction on Alonso should be revoked.
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How Fernando Alonso's 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix unfolded
The race stewards initially penalized Alonso with a 10-second penalty during the Grand Prix. This penalty was attributed to his failure to correctly serve a prior five-second penalty during a pit stop on lap 18 of 50.
As a result, Alonso's podium finish was affected, with the penalty causing him to drop from third place to fourth. However, the stewards reversed their decision during the early hours following the race.
The FIA subsequently released the final race classification, reinstating the Spanish driver back to the third position on the podium behind Red Bull drivers Sergio Perez, who won the race, and Max Verstappen.
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