FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been hit with fresh accusations from a whistleblower, this time claiming that he allegedly told officials not to homologate the Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit,
The BBC – which first carried news that Ben Sulayem was subject of a report from the FIA compliance officer to its ethics committee about alleged interference in a Formula 1 race result last year – has now added a further allegation from the same whistleblower.
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In the article, the BBC cites another report to the ethics committee, with the whistleblower claiming that they were contacted by their manager “who on behest of the FIA president instructed him to find some concerns to prevent the FIA from certifying the circuit before the weekend of the race” in Las Vegas.
Had the circuit not been certified, the race would not have been allowed to go ahead.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix was a high-profile round on the 2023 calendar as it made its debut using a circuit along Las Vegas Boulevard and around the Sphere. F1 owner Liberty Media was a joint promoter for the race and invested heavily in the event.
Contacted for comment by RACER, an FIA spokesperson said: “From a sporting and safety perspective, the Las Vegas circuit approval followed FIA protocol in terms of inspection and certification.
“If you recall, there was a delay in the track being made available for inspection due to ongoing local organizer construction works.”
Earlier, the FIA had confirmed it is discussing the matter regarding the original allegation into the penalty handed to Fernando Alonso at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix internally.
A spokesperson for Formula 1 declined to comment when approached by RACER.