Teams have 'no option' but to trust FIA over complaints

Formula 1 team bosses have admitted that they have no alternative but to trust the FIA in the way that the governing body handles a number of recent complaints and allegations within the sport.

The FIA's own president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, had been accused of interfering with race decisions in last year's Saudi Arabian GP and attempting to delay the approval needed for the Las Vegas street circuit in time for the 2023 race.

An internal investigation into the whistle blower revelations concluded there was “no evidence to substantiate” them. The report added they “greatly appreciated” Ben Sulayem’s “complete co-operation, transparency and compliance”.

However a female Red Bull employee has lodged an official complaint with the FIA against Christian Horner, and this week saw F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff move ahead with a legal complaint against the FIA on a different matter.

Wolff and her husband, Mercedes boss Toto, were last year reported to be under investigation by the FIA for a conflict of interest. The matter was closed within a matter of days but Wolff is unhappy that the issue ever became public.

• Read also: Leclerc comfortably leads second practice in Melbourne for Ferrari

In an official press conference before this weekend's Australian Grand Prix, team bosses sought to deflect questions from the media about these and other controversial matters currently consuming the sport.

"I don't think we have another option than to be confident" in the way the FIA is handling these issues," Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur declared in Melbourne. "We have to be confident with the system.”

Vasseur said it was the media rather than fans who were keeping the controversy in the headlines. “We don't know who is the whistle blower; we don't know what was the goal of the whistle blower. Don't ask us to have an opinion at the end."

“The three situations are different, but all very serious," acknowledged McLaren CEO Zak Brown. “All the items that have come to light in recent times are very serious situations.

“We're living in 2024 not 1984, which means total transparency," he continued. "We need to make sure that things are done in a transparent, truly independent manner. I think everyone should welcome transparency.”

But his counterpart at RB, Peter Bayer - who was formerly F1 executive director at the FIA - cautioned that 'total' transparency wasn't always possible. "A lot of people are asking for transparency.

"We'll have to try and understand where we can have transparency because when it's about individual topics or complaints coming through a whistle blowing hotline

"[The FIA is] capable because there's elected people who have roles, there's an independent ethics committee," he said. "Since when I was there, we've established the compliance officer, whistle blowing hotlines.

"You have to make sure there is absolute guarantee and protection of the people doing the whistle blowing," he pointed out. “When it's about employment contracts, those are not meant to be shared with anyone, so it's difficult.

"But as a sport, we have to learn and grow through these processes and hopefully can come back and focus on racing," he admitted. "So we have to have confidence in the organisation.

"It's the same when we have a stewards’ decision or other," he added. "Sometimes we might not like the decisions, but ultimately we have to be happy with the process.”

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter