FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been cleared of any wrongdoing following alleged claims he interfered with two F1 races in 2023.
The FIA Ethics Committee found 'that there was no evidence to substantiate allegations of interference of any kind'.
The Ethics Committee had been investigating an alleged claim that Ben Sulayem influenced the decision to revoke a penalty handed to Fernando Alonso at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix last year.
The second allegation aimed at the president was regarding the process of certification of the circuit used for the Las Vegas Grand Prix last November.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been cleared of any wrongdoing by an investigation
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Alonso was handed a 10-second penalty after the race in Saudi Arabia last March, which saw the Spaniard drop from third to fourth.
He had originally been given a five-second penalty, which he served under a safety car after team-mate Lance Stroll broke down on the 19th lap.
It was deemed that the pit crew broke rules by working on Alonso's car before the five seconds elapsed, resulting in a further 10-second punishment.
But he was later reinstated to a podium finish following an appeal from Aston Martin, with stewards reversing their decision.
An investigation has deemed that allegations that Ben Sulayem interfered with the decision were 'unsubstantiated'.
It has also cleared Ben Sulayem of any wrongdoing following alleged claims he attempted to interfere with track certification in Vegas.
The investigation took 30 days to complete and 11 witnesses were interviewed during the process.
A statement from the FIA reads: "The FIA Compliance Department, supported by external advisors, conducted thorough inquiries over allegations of potential interference in sporting decisions during Formula One events in 2023.
"After reviewing the results of the inquiries, the Ethics Committee were unanimous in their determination that there was no evidence to substantiate allegations of interference of any kind involving the FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
"Concerns over potential interference were brought to the attention of the FIA Compliance Officer and subsequently passed to the FIA Ethics Committee under Article 32.2.5 of the FIA Statutes.
"There followed a robust and wide-ranging independent review spanning 30 days, which included interviews with 11 witnesses.
"Allegations against the FIA President were unsubstantiated and strong evidence beyond any reasonable doubt was presented to support the determination of the FIA Ethics Committee.
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Fernando Alonso was reinstated into third place at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2023
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"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 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.
"The President’s complete co-operation, transparency, and compliance throughout the process during this investigation was greatly appreciated."
Mohammed Ben Sulayem was also cleared regarding claims of interference a the Las Vegas Grand Prix
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The Formula 1 season continues this weekend at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
It will be the first Sunday race of the season, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen aiming to win a third race out of three in 2024.
