The FIA said it is of “great concern” that allegations, said to relate to president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, have reached the media and sparked “inaccurate” reports.
In the aftermath of the F1 2024 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, the BBC reported that two allegations have been lodged with the FIA’s compliance officer involving president Ben Sulayem.
The FIA president was alleged to have made a request for Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso’s time penalty at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to be overturned, as well as allegedly requesting an issue be found to prevent the new Las Vegas GP circuit from being homologated to Grade 1 status, the event having made its debut in 2023.
A statement was issued by the governing body in relation to the matter, though did not offer any insight into the allegations or whom they have been made against.
“The FIA confirms that the Compliance Officer has received a report detailing potential allegations involving certain members of its governing bodies,” a statement from the FIA released on Tuesday night read.
“The Compliance Department is assessing these concerns, as is common practice in these matters, to ensure that due process is meticulously followed.”
The Association Press is now reporting a further statement from the FIA, which, while once more failing to disclose the allegations or the subject of them, does claim that the media reporting of the situation carries inaccuracies in places.
“It is unfortunate and a source of great concern that the matter has been disclosed to the media without any prior authorisation and that certain elements of the report were inaccurately reported,” the statement reads.
AP claims the whistleblower behind these allegations is believes to be an ex-FIA employee who now works for Formula One Management.
PlanetF1.com has approached the FIA for comment but is yet to receive a response at the time of publication.
Amidst the off-track uncertainties, Formula 1 is preparing to go racing for the second time in F1 2024 as the series heads back to Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Red Bull’s reigning and defending three-time World Champion Max Verstappen goes into the event as clear favourite, having claimed a comfortable victory from pole at the Bahrain season opener, while Sergio Perez ensured a Red Bull one-two as the RB20 ruled at the Bahrain International Circuit
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