The FIA has officially announced that Mohammed ben Sulayem has been re-elected for a second term as the president of the governing body of motorsport. Due to election regulations, no other candidate was able to compete, making Ben Sulayem the sole nominee. He garnered 91.5% of the votes during the election held at the FIA General Assembly in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, receiving a standing ovation from attendees.
However, the validity of the election process is under scrutiny as candidate Laura Villars sought legal action in France, leading to a scheduled hearing in mid-February. Swiss racer Villars, along with American Tim Mayer and Belgium’s Virginie Philippot, had expressed their intention to challenge Ben Sulayem but failed to fulfill the requirements for candidacy.
According to FIA election guidelines, candidates must nominate a vice-president from each global motorsport region, which posed a challenge as only one eligible candidate represented South America. This situation rendered Villars, Mayer, and Philippot ineligible for the election. Mayer criticized the process for creating an “illusion of democracy” during a press conference in Austin.
Villars escalated the matter by initiating legal proceedings in France, raising doubts about the election’s validity. Despite the legal challenges, the FIA proceeded with the election, confirming Ben Sulayem’s re-election. He is set to serve another four-year term as the president overseeing various elite motorsport series, including the Formula 1 World Championship.
Ben Sulayem was first elected in 2021, defeating Graham Stoker. He succeeded Jean Todt, the former Ferrari team principal who led the organization for 12 years before opting not to seek a fourth term. Formula 1 enthusiasts can enjoy live coverage of every practice, qualifier, and race with Sky’s Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle, which also includes access to around 100 TV channels and complimentary subscriptions to Netflix and Discovery+.