F1 INVESTIGATION
Who is FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, what his is net worth, and why is he being investigated?
Ben Sulayem is a former driver himself with 14 title wins to his name
MOHAMMED BEN SULAYEM is the current Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) president.
Though the former rally driver is being investigated for allegedly tampering with a race result last season.
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Who is Mohammed Ben Sulayem?
Mohammed Ben Sulayem was born in the Dubai on 12 November 1961, making him 62 years old.
He is a former rally driver and the current president of the FIA.
Ben Sulayem won 14 Middle East Rally Championship titles during his career.
He retired as a driver in 2002 and has since been an instrumental figure in Formula 1's growth in the Middle East, including organising the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009.
Ben Sulayem was elected as the FIA President in December 2021, succeeding Jean Todt.
Though he suffered a family tragedy in 2023, when his son, Saif Ben Sulayem, was killed in a car accident in Dubai.
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What is Mohammed Ben Sulayem's net worth?
Ben Sulayem's net worth is not widely reported.
However he owns a supercar collection worth over $75m (£59m).
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These cars include a Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK GTR and a Bugatti Chiron Super Sport.
Why is Mohammed Ben Sulayem being investigated?
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is under investigation for allegedly interfering with an F1 race result last season.
Ben Sulayem reportedly intervened to overturn a penalty given to Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The allegation was made in a report by an FIA compliance officer to its ethics committee, which was seen by BBC Sport.
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FIA have been asked for a comment.
The BBC report said: "BBC Sport has verified the information with several senior figures at high levels in F1 and close to the FIA.
"None would go on the record, but all said they had the same information."
During the 2023 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix Alonso was given a 10-second penalty for work done on his car while he was serving a previous five-second penalty.
The report by the compliance officer said Ben Sulaymen "pretended the stewards to overturn their decision to issue" the penalty to Alonso.
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The penalty under investigation moved Alonso from the third spot behind Red Bull drivers Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen and Mercedes' George Russell to fourth.
Overturning the penalty meant Alonso was reinstated onto the podium.
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