Mohammed Ben Sulayem to remain FIA president as rule quirk blocks rivals

Tim Mayer has abandoned his bid to challenge for the presidency of motorsport’s governing body, the FIA.

The American has been forced to withdraw due to a quirk of the FIA’s election rules which means incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem will stand unopposed for another term.

Mayer, who served as a senior FIA steward for 15 years until he was sacked last November, was one of three candidates who announced they would run against Ben Sulayem.

However, none of them are able to stand because of a ruling which states that presidential candidates must submit a list of six prospective vice-presidents, one from each of the FIA’s global regions.

The stumbling block has come because Fabiana Ecclestone, the Brazilian wife of former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, and the only world council representative for South America, has already thrown her backing behind Ben Sulayem.

As a result, Mayer, along with former racing driver Laura Villars, and Belgian journalist Virginie Philippot, are ineligible to stand in December’s election.

Tim Mayer slams ‘illusion of democracy’

Mayer claimed the FIA presidential election was “no longer a democratic process” as he announced his withdrawal ahead of the United States Grand Prix in Austin. 

“The election for the president of the FIA is over, but our campaign is not – and neither is our mission to protect the integrity and reputation of the FIA,” Mayer said.

“This time, there will be no election. There will be no debate between ideas, no comparison of vision, no examination of leadership. There'll only be one candidate, the incumbent, and that's not democracy. That's the illusion of democracy.”

Mayer has lodged complaints with the governing body over potential ethics violations within the election process.

"When elections are decided before ballots are cast, that's not democracy - that's theatre,” he added. “And when member clubs are left with no real choice, they become spectators, not participants.

"There is absolutely no transparency. This is not an overnight process. This has happened over two decades. Mohammed is not the first person to think of ways to restrict the ballot but we have got to the point where only one person can go on the ballot."

FIA hit back at claims 

In a statement issued to Crash.net, an FIA spokesperson said: "The FIA Presidential election is a structured and democratic process, to ensure fairness and integrity at every stage.

"The requirements for the 2025 FIA elections, including the relevant deadlines and eligibility criteria for the Presidential List and World Councils, are defined in the FIA Statutes and Internal Regulations, which are publicly available on the FIA’s website. Detailed information regarding these elections has also been made available on a dedicated page on the FIA’s website since 13 June 2025 and communicated to all FIA Members.

"The requirements related to the regional representation of the Vice-Presidents for Sport, and to select them from the World Motor Sport Council in order to draw up a Presidential List, are not new. These criteria applied to previous elections.

"As to be expected, preparing a candidature for a Presidential List or the World Councils requires certain steps to be taken. Prospective candidates have had since the publication of the detailed information on 13 June to prepare their applications."