Formula 1 governing body the FIA has defended its handling of sexism allegations against president Mohammed ben Sulayem.
According to a report in the Telegraph, the organisation’s interim secretary general for motorsport Shaila-Ann Rao complained in a letter of sexist behaviour before her departure in December.
Rao also reportedly informed FIA senate president Carmelo Sanz de Barros that her complaint was not being investigated properly.
But the FIA insisted that “due process was followed” although the matter was not referred to its ethics committee.
In a statement, it said: “With regards to the specific allegations surrounding Shaila-Ann Rao, due process was followed, with an amicable negotiation conducted by the president of the senate and, as such, no referrals were made to the ethics committee.
“As previously stated, both parties agreed she would leave her position in November 2022 and mutual privacy terms were agreed as is common business practice.”
