Formula 1 team bosses ask not to judge FIA ​​president yet after accusations – 2024-03-08 18:12:28

The Formula 1 It has started with a lot of extra sports news. From the departure of Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes to Ferrari, to the accusations against Christian Horner for inappropriate conduct. Now, accusations have come out against the president of the His son, Mohammed Ben Sulayemfor interfering in last year’s championship.

As reported by the BBC a few days ago, a whistleblower has filed two complaints against Ben Sulayem, and now, in the midst of several scandals, the Formula 1 team bosses have warned that the president of the international entity should not be “prejudged” until a full investigation has been conducted into allegations that he interfered in championship officiating.

What did the team leaders say about the Ben Sulayem scandal?

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: “I think what I have seen and learned from any investigation is that you should not get ahead of the facts. There has to be an investigation. “I am sure that the process established by the FIA ​​statutes will be followed.”

Horner took the opportunity to add, both in favor of the leader and, perhaps, for himself: “All I would ask is that you not prejudge. Wait until you know the facts. “Wait to see what the reality is before passing judgment.”

For his part, Williams F1 boss James Vowles shared that sentiment, saying: “I’m pleased to see that there is a process in place to review it, and I think we should be judged not by the moment we are in now, but by the future, once we look back. I think for now, from what I understand, it is under review, which is the right thing to do.”

Don’t stop reading: “Enough is enough”: Horner talks about the scandal at Red Bull and asks for the harassment of his family to end

The first accusation against the leader is that he tried to have a sanction annulled in last year’s Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, when Fernando Alonso He was reprimanded because Aston Martin had prematurely touched his car during a pit stop when he was already serving a five-second penalty for lining up incorrectly at the start of the race.

The team successfully protested the sanction and the Spanish driver was reinstated in third position for that GP. However, rumors suggested that Ben Sulayem called the FIA ​​vice-president of sport for the Middle East and North Africa, Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and made it clear to him that he thought the sanction should be revoked.

The second case against Ben Sulayem is that he pressured the authorities not to approve the Las Vegas GP street circuit before last November’s F1 event.

The FIA ​​issued a statement in response: ““The FIA ​​confirms that the Compliance Officer has received a report detailing possible allegations involving certain members of its governing bodies.”

“The Compliance Department is evaluating these concerns, as is standard practice in these matters, to ensure that due process is meticulously followed,” the document states.