It seems like we’re in a never-ending loop of off-track drama in the now highly dramatic world of F1. The start of the year has been extremely eventful but it quickly took a dark turn after Red Bull boss Christian Horner was accused of “inappropriate behavior” toward a female employee. Just when the F1 world was slowly putting it past themselves, we now have a new hot topic of discussion and it goes to the very top. We are talking about the latest controversy involving FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. These continued defamatory accusations toward top F1 executives have concerned Dr. Helmut Marko.

The accusation toward Horner was limited to him but affected the whole sport and left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth. It was made evident by Max Verstappen‘s father Jos with his fiery comments accusing Horner of playing victim even after he was acquitted of his crimes. The drama and the public bashing of the sport continue with the FIA president now accused of tampering with a race: specifically the 2023 Saudi Arabian GP.

The 62-year-old is under investigation by the ethics commission for his alleged involvement in overturning a 10-second penalty given to Fernando Alonso for work done on his car while he was serving a previous five-second penalty during the race. A whistleblower revealed this to the FIA’s compliance department a year after the incident.

When asked about the controversy in an interview with Krone, the Red Bull advisor said, “This is certainly not a positive development,” before reserving his words, which is very unlike him. However, he added, “A difficult situation … and no more comment.”

Mohammed Ben Sulayem Allegedly Claimed to Be ‘Detrimental’ for F1 as Liberty Media’s Patience Wears Thin

We can only assume he meant the sport and for the sake of it, there really needs to be a stop or a change. A change because ever since Mohammed Ben Sulayem has taken over, his tenure has been marred with controversy. Let us highlight a few.

The controversial reign of Mohammed Ben Sulayem

The race tampering is the most serious accusation Ben Sulayem is facing yet. However, before that, he had his fair share of negative media attention. In fact, most of the controversy surrounding Ben Sulayem showcases how he has been detrimental, or at least tried to be, to Formula 1.

• It recently came to light that the Emirati former rally driver tried to prevent the Las Vegas Street Circuit from getting the FIA safety certificate, without which a circuit cannot host a race.
• After Saudi PIF offered $20 billion to buy the commercial rights of Formula 1 outright from Liberty Media, Ben Sulayem labeled the valuation “inflated” hurting the sport’s market image, which did not sit well with the owners.
• He was under scrutiny once again after being accused of making sexist remarks and questioning women’s intelligence.
• He also put strict laws in place forcing drivers not to express their opinions using the F1 platform.
• The FIA also launched an unsubstantiated investigation into Toto and Susie Wolff accusing them of insider information trading based on a report by one media house. An investigation that was quickly closed.

Just a reminder, the current president was elected after the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP. It’s been two full years since Ben Sulayem has taken office but he’s been kept busy with all the controversies surrounding him. Will the latest one be the end of his tenure?

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