The head of Formula 1's governing body has issued a passionate defence of his leadership, claiming whistleblower complaints against him were meant to "destablise" him as president of the FIA.

In a letter sent to the organisation's membership, Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the complaints had "shaken the FIA" and created a "period of unprecedented turbulence and challenge."

The ethics committee for the FIA earlier this week cleared Ben Sulayem after a 30-day investigation.

The FIA said it had received complaints against Ben Sulayem that he'd intervened to overturn a penalty given to Fernando Alonso at last year's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and that he'd told officials not to certify the Las Vegas circuit for its high-profile race last November.

"These events have unfolded with one clear objective: to target the very heart of our leadership and undermine the foundation of our federation," Ben Sulayem wrote to the FIA members as Formula One luminaries gathered in Australia for the third race of the season.

Ben Sulayem was elected president in December of 2021 and is the first Muslim to run the FIA, which is comprised of 242 motoring and motor sport club members in 147 countries. It oversees F1 - and tensions between the two bodies have been particularly tense of late.

The leadership of Ben Sulayem has often been questioned.

He tried to enforce a ban on drivers wearing jewellery in their cars, which seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton rebuked.

The FIA also tried to issue a ban on drivers making political statements. Although many pushed back on that, Hamilton said he outright refused to be silenced and even this week called for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Palestine.

Asked on Thursday in Melbourne if Ben Sulayem had his support as president, Hamilton said: "Never has."

Susie Wolff also announced in the week that she had filed a criminal complaint in France against Paris-based FIA over its brief December conflict of interest investigation into her.

Wolff, head of F1's all-female F1 Academy, was accused of sharing confidential information with her husband, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.

The Wolffs denied any wrongdoing, and the other nine F1 teams released identically worded statement denying they'd complained about the Wolffs.

In his letter, Ben Sulayem wrote he was annoyed the FIA has "fallen victim to malicious leaks of confidential and sensitive information, tarnishing our reputation and causing concern among our members."

"Yet, despite these attacks aimed at my character and our organisation as a whole, we have emerged stronger and more resolute than ever," he wrote.

"We know that the ultimate goal of these reprehensible acts was to target me and to weaken the very essence of the FIA.

He added that he is committed to "an environment of transparency, accountability and unwavering integrity within the FIA."

He closed the letter by insisting he remains "steadfast in my dedication" as president of the FIA.