The drama surrounding Formula 1’s top brass just dialed up a notch, throwing FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem into even hotter water.
This week, the spotlight intensified on Ben Sulayem after he was reported to the FIA’s compliance officer. The bone of contention? Allegations flying around suggest he might’ve had a hand in overturning Fernando Alonso’s penalty during last year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. But wait, there’s more to the story.
Austria’s Kleine Zeitung has stirred the pot with fresh accusations against Ben Sulayem, suggesting he attempted to throw a wrench in the works for the Las Vegas F1 circuit’s approval. This circuit isn’t just another race track; it’s a billion-dollar crown jewel in Formula 1, with Liberty Media at the helm, and it’s been the arena of a not-so-secret tug-of-war with the FIA under Ben Sulayem’s leadership.
“This was not about real safety concerns,” the newspaper claimed, shining a light on what they believe to be the real reason behind Ben Sulayem’s interference with the Las Vegas circuit’s green light.
“In this case, too, it remains unclear what the background of Ben Sulayem’s intervention might have been.”
When the FIA was prodded for a comment, they acknowledged that yes, an investigation is in the pipeline, though they stopped just short of dropping Ben Sulayem’s name into the mix.
“The FIA confirms that the Compliance Officer has received a report detailing potential allegations involving certain members of its governing bodies,” a spokesperson mentioned, ensuring everyone that the process to thoroughly sift through these allegations is underway, as per usual protocol.
But here’s the kicker: Is this new headache for Ben Sulayem somehow tied to the already infamous Christian Horner scandal? Ralf Bach and Bianca Garloff of Sport1 dropped a hint that could link the two, noting: “Horner is said to have threatened to drag other protagonists to their ruin if he lost his job.”
