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A report by the BBC on Tuesday claimed Mohammed Ben Sulayem had been the subject of an internal investigation by the sport’s governing body regarding claims he attempted to have a post-race penalty applied to Fernando Alonso overturned.
Speedcafe understands that was found to lack substance.
However, Ben Sulayem is now at the centre of further allegations regarding the homologation of the Las Vegas Street Circuit.
Again reported by the BBC, which claims to have seen a report from the FIA’s compliance officer, it’s alleged there was pressure applied to block the homologation of the circuit.
Before any circuit can be used for racing, it undergoes a thorough inspection process to ensure suitability and safety standards have been met. For Formula 1, that requires a Grade 1 certification.
Ben Sulayem is alleged to have issued instructions to find fault with the Las Vegas circuit. However, no issues were found and the circuit was certified.
The allegations are at odds with the FIA president’s own claims that the relationship between the governing body and Formula One Management has improved since he stepped into the role.
“FOM has its points,” Ben Sulayem said in an interview with GP Racing magazine.
“But today, since I took over the presidency, we’re in a much better position together.
“Let me give you an example from Las Vegas… The president of the FIA is the one who signs the homologation for the new track, or for all the tracks. I supported it. I could have said no.
“But as soon as my team said it was safe… because I’m a driver, I care about the wellbeing of the drivers and the people around them, our staff and the marshals. I did it.
“It was a big thing. If I had said no, it would have been disastrous [for F1]. But it would have been legal.
“But I’m careful because I love the sport. At the end of the day, we’re in the same boat. We have different missions. But we’re in the same boat. We cannot let the sport sink.”
The track homologation in Las Vegas was unusual; arriving late after circuit preparations took longer than expected.
Even still, drama hit the event when, just seven minutes into opening practice, a drain cover broke free and damaged Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari.
It saw opening practice abandoned and a hasty rescheduling of the day’s remaining running, which ultimately took place in the early hours of Friday morning (local time) behind closed doors.
In response to the allegations from the BBC, the FIA issued a statement.
“The FIA confirms that the Compliance Officer has received a report detailing potential allegations involving certain members of its governing bodies,” it declared.
“The Compliance Department is assessing these concerns, as is common practice in these matters, to ensure that due process is meticulously followed.”
