Mohammed Ben Sulayem looks set to be re-elected FIA president without facing a challenger after a list the governing body published of eligible World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) members effectively left opponents unable to assemble the required campaign teams.
The immediate practical obstacle for would-be opponents is a procedural requirement introduced during Ben Sulayem’s first term.
Unlike previous elections, all presidential candidates must now submit a full slate of seven vice-presidents covering the FIA’s continental balance, drawn from a pool of individuals certified as eligible by the FIA.
This contrasts with earlier cycles, when candidates could run without presenting a complete deputy team.
Critics say the current situation is the predictable result of statute changes passed earlier in 2025 that altered the mechanics of how presidential candidates are presented and promoted inside the FIA.
Opponents of those amendments argue the reforms concentrated power in the presidency and raised the administrative bar for challengers; supporters say they were intended to modernise governance and ensure geographical balance on the FIA’s executive team.
The statute package – approved in mid-2025 – was described by some national clubs as controversial and has prompted accusations of “democratic backsliding” within parts of the membership.
“The FIA has entered a dark period of democratic backsliding,” a letter by Austria’s national motoring club said in June.
“In the face of growing internal concern regarding the actions of the FIA leadership, and facing the reality that existing internal bodies and officers would prove incapable of constraining the administration, the FIA’s leadership has also taken steps to limit the risk of external criticism.
“Specifically, it has sought to smother the possibility of debate or criticism regarding FIA actions emerging by demanding a personal contractual commitment – outside the FIA’s Statutes or governance terms, outside of the FIA’s internal regulations and outside employment law – from each relevant FIA officer requiring them to pay up to €50,000 to the FIA in the event they breach confidentiality terms set by the FIA, plus the possibility of an additional undisclosed damages payment to the FIA.”
Because some regions are represented by only a handful of names on the FIA’s published list, prospective challengers have been unable to complete the cross-regional slates needed to qualify.
In South America, for example, Fabiana Ecclestone is the only certified candidate – and she is already aligned with Ben Sulayem’s ticket, making it effectively impossible for a rival to assemble a compliant slate.
That narrowness in the available pool could make it impossible for alternative campaigns to match the ticket already assembled by Ben Sulayem.
The timetable has also added to the strain.
