FIA President Under Investigation for Lifting Fernando Alonso’s Sanction in Saudi Arabia in 2023

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, is currently under investigation for possible interference in the outcome of a Formula 1 race. The allegations suggest that Ben Sulayem may have played a role in removing a 10-second penalty that was imposed on Spanish driver Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin during the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Such a penalty, if enforced, would have resulted in Alonso missing a podium finish.

As reported by the BBC, the FIA’s compliance officer, Paolo Basarri, has compiled a report detailing the alleged interference. The report, which has been forwarded to the Ethics Committee, suggests that Ben Sulayem intervened to negate the penalty that was levied on Alonso during the race in Saudi Arabia.

The British public broadcaster has further mentioned that an unnamed source revealed Ben Sulayem’s contact with Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Sheikh Abdullah is the FIA vice president of sport for the Middle East and North Africa region and was in Saudi Arabia to witness the race. The source suggests that Ben Sulayem requested Sheikh Abdullah to repeal Alonso’s penalty.

The removal of the 10-second penalty on Alonso, who is a two-time world champion, has significant implications. The penalty was originally imposed after one of the mechanics came into contact with the car using the jack during a pit stop. This occurred as Alonso was already serving a previous five-second penalty for positioning his car outside the starting box on the grid. The removal of this penalty allowed Alonso to secure a podium finish, coming in behind the Red Bull team, which included the Mexican driver Sergio Pérez and the Dutch driver Max Verstappen. If the penalty had been enforced, it would have resulted in Alonso falling to the fourth position.

Notably, at the time of the race, there were no immediate suspicions regarding the decision to remove Alonso’s penalty. This issue came into the spotlight after Aston Martin’s sporting director, Andy Stevenson, raised the allegations during a discussion with the race stewards about the team’s case.