FIA clears Ben Sulayem of Vegas, Saudi race interference - ESPN

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been cleared of interfering in last year's Formula One races in Saudi Arabia and Las Vegas, the sport's governing body said on Wednesday after investigating whistleblower claims.

The Emirati had faced whistleblower accusations he sought to prevent circuit approval ahead of the showcase Las Vegas Grand Prix and had allegedly interfered in the outcome of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah.

The FIA said in a statement that its compliance department, supported by external advisers, had investigated the claims thoroughly.

The independent investigation took 30 days to complete and included interviews with 11 witnesses.

«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,» the FIA said.

It added that «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.»

Ben Sulayem was accused of interfering with a steward's decision, resulting in the reversal of a penalty and the reinstatement of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso to third place in Jeddah.

The FIA president was also said to have wanted to withhold a licence for the inaugural night-time Las Vegas race. In the end, the certification was completed and approved in good time.

The race last November was a pillar of Liberty Media-owned Formula One's efforts to promote the sport in a key U.S. market where it has enjoyed rapid growth.

The FIA said Ben Sulayem's complete cooperation, transparency and compliance through the investigation was