FIA looking into whistleblower allegations

LONDON :The president of Formula One's governing body, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, faced accusations on Tuesday that he had sought to prevent circuit approval for last year's showcase Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The BBC said the claim, made by a whistleblower, appeared in a report it had seen and which was submitted by the FIA's compliance officer to an ethics committee.

A spokesperson for the governing body said the circuit approval had followed FIA protocol, from a sporting and safety perspective, regarding inspection and certification.

The FIA later confirmed that the compliance officer had received a report "detailing potential allegations involving certain members of its governing bodies" and was assessing them to ensure due process was followed.

"It is unfortunate and a source of concern that the matter has been disclosed to the media without any prior authorization and that certain elements of the report were inaccurately reported," the spokesperson added.

The night-time Las Vegas 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 BBC said the whistleblower referred to a manager acting "on behest of the FIA president" and seeking "some concerns to prevent the FIA from certifying the circuit before the weekend of the race".

It said the whistleblower claimed "issues on the circuit were meant to be artificially identified regardless of their actual existence, with the ultimate goal of withholding the licence."

Officials were unable to find any concerns, however, and the circuit was certified.

The allegations contrast with Ben Sulayem's comments at last year's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix where he said he had supported approval