The FIA Ethics Committee discovered the allegations made in opposition to president Mohammed Ben Sulayem have been “unsubstantiated”; watch the Australian GP reside on Sky Sports F1 from Friday, with Sunday’s race at 4am

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been cleared of interfering with the 2023 Saudi Arabian and Las Vegas Grands Prix.

The FIA Ethics Committee stated it discovered “no evidence to substantiate allegations of interference” by Ben Sulayem.

An announcement stated the FIA president “was cleared of any wrongdoing regarding allegations (i) to have interfered with the Stewards’ decision to reverse an additional penalty on Car 14 (Fernando Alonso) following a challenge from the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023 and (ii) to have attempted to interfere with the track certification process for the Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023. The certification was completed and approved in due time.”

An FIA ethics committee investigation had been taking a look at a declare Ben Sulayem made it clear {that a} penalty handed out to Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso ultimately yr’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix needs to be revoked.

Alonso, who began the race in P2 and led for the primary 4 laps after overtaking pole-sitter Perez, was given a five-second time penalty for an incorrect begin place after lining up too far to the left of his grid field.

The Spaniard served the penalty beneath a Safety Car when his team-mate Lance Stroll broke down on the nineteenth lap however was then later hit with an additional 10-second penalty.

That was as a result of stewards deemed the pit crew broke the foundations by engaged on his automobile earlier than the preliminary five-second penalty had elapsed, with the rear jack involved together with his AMR23.

The 10-second penalty handed out to the Spanish driver meant he dropped to fourth place from third within the race behind Red Bull drivers Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen, and likewise Mercedes’ George Russell.

Alonso was solely handed the penalty after the race and celebrations had been accomplished, prompting him to name the choice a “poor show” from the FIA.

Aston Martin appealed the choice and acquired a proper to evaluation on the idea that there had been seven earlier examples of a jack touching a automobile whereas a penalty was being served that had not been punished.

The stewards subsequently reversed their determination the next morning.

The extra allegation geared toward Ben Sulayem associated to the method of certification of the circuit used for final yr’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.

In an interview in November for GP Racing UK, Ben Sulayem stated: “The president of the FIA is the one who signs the homologation for the new track, or for all the tracks. I supported it.

“I may have stated no [because it wasn’t ready in time for inspection]. But as quickly as my workforce stated it was protected, as a result of I’m a driver, I care in regards to the wellbeing of the drivers and the folks round them, our workers and the marshalls, I did it.

“It was a big thing. If I had said no, it would have been disastrous [for F1]. But it would have been legal.”

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