Formula 1 finds itself swamped by a "meteorite shower of accusations" and "one problem after another," as the latest incidents come to light, according to those closely watching the situation.
Toto Wolff earlier issued a warning regarding his spouse Susie, now associated with the F1 Academy for female drivers, stating her determination to "go all the way in court" in response to earlier allegations by FIA's Mohammed Ben Sulayem concerning the exchange of sensitive data.
Susie now announces her action of "personally filing a criminal complaint" against the Formula 1 regulatory authority in the French legal system.
"F1 is under a meteorite shower of accusations right now," stated Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion, on X, with Italy's La Repubblica reporting that the sport faces "one problem after another." Further complications include the persisting controversy around Christian Horner and the internal power dynamics at Red Bull.
Additionally, FIA's Mohammed Ben Sulayem faced allegations regarding his undue interference in a stewards' decision in 2023 and his attempts to hinder the approval process for the new Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit design.
The FIA ethics committee has now absolved its president from these charges, establishing that there was "no evidence to substantiate the allegations."
Observers suggest that the ongoing conflicts between Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, and the FIA, under Ben Sulayem's lead, could be laying the groundwork for explosive financial discussions concerning the forthcoming Concorde Agreement.
"At the end of the day, we're in the same boat," Ben Sulayem commented following the ethics committee's decision.
"We may have different missions, but we cannot let the sport sink."
