Jan.27 (GMM) Mohammed Ben Sulayem is facing fresh scrutiny after the UK’s Charity Commission opened an inquiry into the FIA Foundation, intensifying concerns about governance and conflicts of interest at the top of world motorsport.
The regulator confirmed it has launched the investigation to protect the charity’s assets, issuing an immediate temporary protective order that restricts the FIA Foundation from entering into certain transactions without prior written approval.
Although the Commission stressed that the inquiry is not a finding of wrongdoing, its focus is likely to raise further questions about Ben Sulayem’s growing influence across FIA-linked bodies. The inquiry will examine whether trustees have complied with their legal duties, with particular attention on the relationship between the FIA Foundation and the FIA, and whether conflicts of interest have been properly identified and managed.
The move comes after Ben Sulayem took over as chair of the FIA Foundation in 2025, replacing Dave Richards, the long-time chairman of Motorsport UK. Richards has previously been one of the most prominent UK figures to challenge Ben Sulayem’s leadership style and governance approach within the FIA.
Several trustees of the FIA Foundation, including Ben Sulayem himself, are understood to hold current or recent roles within the FIA or its affiliated bodies – an issue central to the Charity Commission’s inquiry under UK law, which requires registered charities to operate independently and free from undue external influence.
The Charity Commission said it will also investigate whether any of the charity’s property has been, or is at risk of being, misused.
Responding to the development, a spokesperson for the FIA Foundation said trustees were confident the charity’s affairs had been properly conducted and would cooperate fully with the inquiry, noting that the regulatory action “is not a finding of wrongdoing”.
The FIA separately said the FIA Foundation is independent and governed by its trustees under UK charity law.