Motorsport: Motor racing-FIA head faces more whistleblower allegations

LONDON (Reuters) – The president of Formula One’s governing body, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, faced accusations on Tuesday that he had sought to prevent circuit approval for last year’s showcase Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The BBC said the claim, made by a whistleblower, appeared in a report it had seen and which was submitted by the FIA’s compliance officer to an ethics committee.

A spokesperson for the FIA responded by saying that “from a sporting and safety perspective, the Las Vegas circuit approval followed FIA protocol in terms of inspection and certification.

“There was a delay in the track being made available for inspection due to ongoing local organiser construction works.”

The night-time race last November was a pillar of Liberty Media-owned Formula One’s efforts to promote the sport in a key U.S. market where it has enjoyed rapid growth.

The BBC said the whistleblower referred to a manager acting “on behest of the FIA president” and seeking “some concerns to prevent the FIA from certifying the circuit before the weekend of the race”.

It said the whistleblower claimed “issues on the circuit were meant to be artificially identified regardless of their actual existence, with the ultimate goal of withholding the licence.”

Officials were unable to find any concerns, however, and the circuit was certified.

The allegation came a day after the BBC reported Ben Sulayem, who was elected at the end of 2021, was being investigated for allegedly interfering in the outcome of last year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The FIA spokesperson confirmed on Monday that “the matter is being discussed internally”.

Ben Sulayem’s presidency has been marked by clashes with Formula One in what has been portrayed as a power struggle between the two with money a key element.

Formula One Management holds the 100-year commercial rights to the championship, starting from 2001, while the FIA is the sanctioning body responsible for rules and safety as well as technical staff.

Formula One’s top lawyer sent a letter to the FIA a year ago accusing Ben Sulayem of interfering in the commercial rights “in an unacceptable manner” after he questioned a valuation of the sport.

The two sides have also been at loggerheads over a potential 11th team, with Ben Sulayem supportive of a U.S.-based Andretti-Cadillac entry and Formula One ruling it out until at least 2028.

Another flashpoint was a compliance enquiry into Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff and his wife Susie, which was quickly shelved amid general uproar.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)