Harsh allegations against Bin Sulayem
FIA boss wanted to prevent Formula 1 premiere in Las Vegas
March 5, 2024, 9:16 p.m
Formula 1 celebrated a dazzling premiere in Las Vegas in November. But apparently the race was supposed to be prevented. According to a whistleblower, FIA President Mohammed bin Sulayem instructed his employees not to open the route for the premiere.
Formula 1 continues to produce negative targets at the official level. After the serious allegations against Red Bull team boss Christian Horner by an employee, FIA President Mohammed bin Sulayem is also heavily burdened. As the BBC reported, citing an informant, the boss of the World Automobile Association is said to have instructed his employees not to open the track in Las Vegas for the Formula 1 premiere.
The 62-year-old from the United Arab Emirates is said to have given instructions to “find concerns to stop the FIA from certifying the track before the race weekend”, according to an internal FIA report seen by the BBC. According to the whistleblower mentioned in the compliance report, the requirement was to “find weak points on the route in order to deny the license”.
Former rally driver bin Sulayem succeeded Jean Todt in December 2021. The race in Las Vegas, which premiered last November, was stylized by the Formula 1 management around Stefano Domenicali as a beacon in the racing calendar.
On Monday, the BBC had already claimed, citing the same source, that bin Sulayem had successfully intervened against punishment for former world champion Fernando Alonso at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix last year. The Spaniard had finished the race in Jeddah in third place, but the Aston Martin driver received a ten-second penalty for not correctly serving a previous five-second penalty during the race. This was revised a few hours later following an appeal from his team.
The world association confirmed to the AFP news agency on Tuesday evening “that the compliance officer has received a report detailing possible allegations affecting some members of its management bodies.” It continued: “The compliance department is assessing these allegations, as is normal in such situations, to ensure that the procedure is followed.”