According to the BBC, a report by the motorsport governing body’s compliance officer, Paolo Basarri, to the ethics committee claims Ben Sulayem acted to overturn a ­10-second penalty given to Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The BBC report claims a whistleblower has alleged that Ben Sulayem called the FIA’s vice-president for sport for the Middle East, Sheikh Abdullah bin Isa al-Khalifa, who was in Saudi Arabia for the race in an official capacity. Ben Sulayem allegedly made it clear to Sheikh Abdullah bin Isa that he thought Alonso’s penalty should be revoked. Ben Sulayem and the FIA have not responded to requests for comment from the BBC.

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