23/09/2009
NEWS STORY
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The president of the United Arab Emirates' Automobile Club (ATCUAE), Mohammed Ben Sulayem, has said that that the result of Monday's WMSC hearing had been agreed beforehand.
Furthermore, Ben Sulayem indicates that issues other than the case in hand were taken into consideration when reaching a decision.
"We did our negotiations before and everybody is happy with the result," he told a local newspaper, according to the Guardian. "The verdict is fair and everyone is a winner.
"I had to be loyal to my country as well as motor sport," he continued, referring to the fact that his country is on the verge of hosting its first ever round of the Formula One World Championship, the 2009 season finale in Abu Dhabi. "Protecting the investments Abu Dhabi has made into Formula One is my duty; it is a big show and it needs teams.
"We all want to see Renault (in F1)," he added. "This is the result everyone wanted."
It should be noted that Ben Sulayem, a champion rally driver who famously crashed a Renault F1 car during a 'drag race' with Romain Grosjean (Ford GT40) at the Dubai Autodrome in April this year - though not deliberately - was recently named as Vice President of the FIA for Sport in (presidency hopeful) Jean Todt's candidacy team.
Our picture shows Ben Sulayem at the Renault event in Dubai in April. Despite widespread speculation the gesture he is making is not thought to relate in any way to the size of the punishment the French team might expect should 'Crashgate' ever come to light.