FIA Confirms Ben Sulayem as Sole Presidential Candidate

The FIA names Mohammed Ben Sulayem the sole presidential candidate. A Paris court will rule December 3 on the election process. The vote remains set for December 12 in Tashkent.

Rival candidate Laura Villars challenges rules she says block any competing presidential list. The Judicial Court of Paris accepted her complaint for review after a hearing held Monday.

Villars argues the requirements conflict with FIA statutes by making compliance unattainable for challengers. Despite potential suspension, the FIA’s process continues pending the ruling.

The FIA published the candidates meeting the October 24 deadline, confirming only Ben Sulayem’s list. The federation says timelines and criteria were public and consistent with previous elections.

The presidential slate comprises the FIA president, a senate president, deputies for mobility and sport, and seven regional vice-presidents for sport drawn from World Motor Sport Council candidates.

Carmelo Sanz de Barros leads the senate, with Timothy Shearman as mobility deputy and Malcolm Wilson as sport deputy. Regional VPs include Abdulla al-Khalifa, Rodrigo Rocha, Daniel Coen, and others.

Also listed are Fabiana Ecclestone for South America, Lung-Nien Lee for Asia-Pacific, and European representatives Manuel Aviñó and Anna Nordkvist. Their inclusion satisfies geographic quotas specified in the election rules.

The regional requirement narrows viable combinations. With Fabiana Ecclestone reportedly the only South American candidate this cycle, rivals such as Tim Mayer and Villars struggled to assemble compliant tickets.

Mayer has filed complaints with the FIA ethics committee. Villars pursued the judicial route, contending the framework breaches statutes by creating conditions challengers cannot realistically satisfy.

The FIA counters that the election procedures are transparent and long-standing. Officials stress the regional vice-president model predates this cycle and remains fundamental to governance balance.

If the court upholds the process, Ben Sulayem faces no opponent and continuity follows. Any intervention could alter the timetable, require revised lists, or delay the Tashkent vote.

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Court ruling awaits Dec 3

Only one candidate on the FIA presidential stage.

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⏳ Legal challenge by Laura Villars: rules make rivals almost impossible

Dec 12:
Election scheduled 🗳️ in Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Fabiana Ecclestone is the only eligible vice-president for South America — blocking alternate lists

Rival campaign 🚫 blocked by eligibility rules

Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.