FIA Compliance Officer Paolo Basarri Departs Role

Paolo Basarri has exited his position as the compliance officer for Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA. Mohammed Ben Sulayem assumed the presidency of the FIA in 2021. Sources both within and close to the FIA have indicated that Basarri, an Italian national, was terminated due to a loss of confidence from FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Basarri reportedly resisted or attempted to circumvent several directives from Ben Sulayem, an approach to which the president reportedly objected. The FIA has declined to provide a statement regarding the matter. When contacted by BBC Sport, Basarri stated, “I cannot comment on this.” Basarri was the official responsible for compiling a report concerning allegations that Ben Sulayem interfered with the conduct of two races during the 2023 season. A whistleblower informed the FIA that Ben Sulayem had intervened to reverse a penalty issued to Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The whistleblower also alleged that Ben Sulayem instructed officials not to certify the Las Vegas circuit for its race last year. Following an investigation by the FIA ethics committee, Ben Sulayem was cleared of these allegations. BBC Sport has been informed that Basarri left the organization last week. Under FIA regulations, the compliance officer’s role falls under the management of the FIA Senate, which is required to authorize any dismissal. However, sources report that Basarri’s position was not discussed at a Senate meeting held this week. Basarri’s departure marks the second senior figure to leave the FIA within a week, following the exit of F1 race director Niels Wittich. The FIA announced that Wittich had “stepped down.” However, Wittich, a German national, informed BBC Sport on Thursday, “I can confirm that I got fired and it was not my decision to leave F1.” The departures of Basarri and Wittich are part of an ongoing pattern over the past year, during which the FIA has seen numerous senior figures leave. Sporting director Steve Nielsen resigned in December 2023, having served less than a year in his capacity. His departure followed that of Deborah Mayer, who headed the FIA commission for women. In January, prominent engineer Tim Goss vacated his role as single-seater technical director and is now employed by Red Bull’s RB team. Natalie Robyn resigned from her position as chief executive officer in May, after serving for only 18 months. Additionally, in October, director of communications Luke Skipper and secretary general of mobility Jacob Bangsgaard were also among those who left the organization. These departures coincide with a series of controversies surrounding the leadership of Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The most recent incident involved a letter published last week by the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, which requested that drivers be treated with maturity, following penalties issued to Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for swearing.