FIA presidential candidate considers legal action over election ‘concerns’
FIA presidential elections take place in December with three other candidates, Tim Mayer, Laura Villars and Virginie Philippot, having announced campaigns against incumbent Mohammed ben Sulayem
A self-declared candidate for the FIA presidential election has suggested they could take legal action, with incumbent Mohammed ben Sulayem set to be re-elected unopposed. It comes after a list of potential vice-presidents for the motorsport governing body, which oversees Formula 1 and other championships, was released.
All prospective presidential candidates must submit a list of potential vice-presidents, two each representing Europe and Asia and one from North America, South America and Africa, along with suggested names for three other leading positions on the World Motor Sport Council.
But, on a list of 29 candidates eligible for those roles, there is only one person representing South America – Brazil’s Fabiana Ecclestone. The wife of former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is the current vice-president for sport in South America and has already been announced as part of Ben Sulayem’s list for his bid for another term.
Three people have announced challenges to Ben Sulayem, 63, ahead of December’s election. Former F1 steward Tim Mayer, 59, was the first to put himself forward earlier this year, followed by Swiss racer Laura Villars, 28, and Belgian former journalist and reality TV star Virginie Philippot, 33.
But if they cannot put together a full presidential list before October 24, then they will not make it onto the ballot paper and Ben Sulayem will run unopposed. One of those candidates, Villars, has now contacted Mirror Sport to make it clear her campaign continues, and did not rule out legal action over the situation.
She claimed: “Formal exchanges are currently ongoing between my legal team and the FIA administration, as the current electoral procedure raises legitimate concerns of conformity with the FIA statutes. Independent legal opinions obtained by my team also confirm that several recent procedural changes are inconsistent with the statutes and must be corrected.
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“In accordance with Article 1.3 of the FIA statutes, the federation must uphold the highest standards of governance, transparency and democracy. All options – including legal and judicial ones – therefore remain under consideration to ensure that these principles are fully respected, in line with the FIA’s status as a French law non-profit association.
“As candidates, we share a collective responsibility to ensure that the FIA remains a beacon of transparency and democracy – principles that are the foundation of its legitimacy and global credibility.
“Our campaign continues with determination and in full respect of institutional dialogue. We remain confident that a fair and transparent outcome will prevail, and that all candidates committed to the FIA’s values will have the opportunity to compete on equal grounds.”
When approached by Mirror Sport, a spokesperson said FIA staff “are bound by a strict principle of neutrality under the election guidelines and are therefore unable to comment”. Information about the process and procedures for the presidential election have been publicly available on the FIA website since the application window began.
As it stands, with Fabiana Ecclestone’s support thrown firmly behind Ben Sulayem, the Emirati former rally driver has a clear path towards re-election. The FIA general assembly is set to meet in Uzbekistan in December, where the incumbent looks set to be sworn in for another four years in charge of motorsport’s governing body.
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