The Charity Commission has launched an official inquiry into the FIA Foundation road safety charity.
The move comes after Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of motorsport’s governing body the FIA, replaced David Richards – the head of Motorsport UK – as chair of the foundation last year.
The Charity Commission, which regulates all charities in England and Wales, has issued a temporary protective order, preventing the FIA Foundation and its trustees “from entering into certain transactions without the prior written approval of the Commission”.
An FIA Foundation spokesperson said: “The Charity Commission has contacted the FIA Foundation raising regulatory issues.
“The Commission has informed the Foundation that this regulatory engagement is not a finding of wrongdoing.
“The trustees of the Foundation are confident that its affairs have been properly conducted, and they intend to co-operate fully with the Commission to achieve a speedy resolution of the Commission’s concerns.”
Under UK law, a charity must operate independently and solely to further its charitable purposes, and not be controlled by external organisations or interests.
The Charities Act 2011 says trustees must be free from undue influence of conflicts of interest from outside parties.
The Charity Commission said its inquiry would examine the relationship between the FIA Foundation and the FIA, “and whether any conflicts of interest have been appropriately identified and managed, with specific reference to grants awarded by the charity”.
It will also investigate “whether any of the charity’s property has been or is at risk and to take action to protect such property”.
The commission said the scope of the inquiry may be extended if additional regulatory issues emerge.
At least nine of the 12 trustees of the FIA Foundation have senior roles elsewhere within the FIA.