Mohammed Ben Sulayem Set For FIA Presidential Re-Election As Main Challenger Launches Scathing Attack

Mohammed Ben Sulayem is set to win re-election as president of world motorsport's governing body, the FIA, unopposed.

Main challenger Tim Mayer has announced that he is dropping out of the race for the presidency at the United States Grand Prix weekend, with his reasoning almost certain to impact the ambitions of other challengers Laura Villars and Virgine Philipott.

"The election for the president of the FIA is over," Mayer said in a press conference at the Circuit of the Americas, as per RacingNews365.

“The election is over, but our campaign is not.” Tim Mayer may not be on the ballot, but FIA Forward continues committed to reform, transparency, and listening to every Member Club. 📣 Read more: https://t.co/AwejabYSjk #FIAForward #DemocracyMatters #SportAndMobility #Integrity pic.twitter.com/kUV8H3SoH0
— FIA Forward (@fiaforward) October 17, 2025

Mayer, who was formally a senior figure at the FIA and served as a Formula 1 steward, promised to end Ben Sulayem's "reign of terror" when launching his campaign at the British Grand Prix. But due to electoral rules, he has been forced to concede in a scathing attack on the current regime.

"There'll only be one candidate," he added. "The incumbent. That's not democracy. That's the illusion of democracy."

Ben Sulayem's reign has been one of controversy, with abrasive situations between himself, former high-ranking personnel at the FIA who have since resigned or been sacked, regional councils, and even F1 and its drivers.

While Mayer's hopes of ousting Ben Sulayem were high, he has been unable to gather the appropriate support due to a crucial rule in the race for the presidency. That rule stipulates that all challengers must create a 'presidential list' by an October 24 deadline, which has a number of criteria.

Each candidate is obliged to submit proposals for team positions within what is essentially the FIA's cabinet, which includes the president of the senate and the deputy president for sport. Seven proposed vice presidents must also be confirmed, taken from a list of candidates approved by the FIA from across worldwide regions.

There must be one candidate from Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and North Africa and North America and South Americas, as well as two candidates from Europe.

The FIA has revealed 29 eligible candidates, but with only one from South America, in this case Fabiana Ecclestone, who is already understood to be supporting Ben Sulayem, there is no way the three challengers can now meet the obligatory criteria.

While it is now clear Ben Sulayem will sit for a second term, the election will formally take place on December 12.

His former vice president of sport Robert Reid, who resigned earlier this year after becoming disillusioned with the regime, wrote on LinkedIn: "Each presidential candidate must present a full slate, including seven vice-presidents drawn from list of World Council nominees.

"If the incumbent already controls those names in any region through persuasion, pressure or promise, then no challenger can form.

"The process looks democratic, but in practice it locks the door from the inside. It isn't democracy. It isn't even unusual. But that doesn't make it right."

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