The FIA officially announced that Mohammed ben Sulayem has been re-elected for a second term as the president of motorsport’s governing body. Ben Sulayem emerged as the only candidate due to election regulations preventing other contenders from participating in the voting process.
During the FIA General Assembly in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Ben Sulayem secured 91.5 percent of the vote, garnering a standing ovation from assembly members. However, the legitimacy of the election procedure remains uncertain, with a hearing scheduled in mid-February to evaluate the FIA’s election protocol.
Challengers Laura Villars, Tim Mayer, and Virginie Philippot were disqualified from running as they failed to nominate a complete list of potential vice-presidents according to FIA regulations. This led to criticism from Mayer, who denounced the election process as a “sham of democracy.”
Villars initiated legal action in France against the FIA, with a hearing scheduled for February 16 to potentially review or challenge the election’s validity. Despite these challenges, the election proceeded on December 12, with Ben Sulayem being re-elected for another four-year term as FIA president.
Ben Sulayem, who initially won the presidency in 2021, succeeded Jean Todt and will continue to lead the organization overseeing elite motorsport series, including the Formula 1 World Championship.
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