FIA Election Done, Lawsuit Not: Ben Sulayem Gets Second Term As FIA President

Ah well, here we go again.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem was re-elected as FIA president on Friday in Tashkent — unopposed, unsurprising, and still controversial.

The 64-year-old Emirati will now remain in charge

of world motorsport for another four-year term.

Continuity was guaranteed. Clarity, less so.

Unopposed, by Design

Ben Sulayem was the lone name on the ballot after two would-be challengers — Swiss driver Laura Villars and former FIA steward Tim Mayer — were blocked by FIA eligibility rules.

How did that happen? Well, under those regulations, presidential candidates must nominate vice-presidents from each of the sport’s six global regions, all selected from a pre-approved FIA list.

In South America, there was just one option: Brazilian Fabiana Ecclestone. She backed Ben Sulayem, effectively shutting the door on any alternative bids.

Legal Clouds Still Hanging

Villars, 28, took the matter to a Paris court, arguing the rules unfairly restricted competition. While the court refused to halt the election, it did order a full trial to scrutinise the FIA’s electoral process.

“The election result may be examined, questioned or annulled,” said Villars’ lawyer Robin Binsard. The first hearing is scheduled for February 16, 2026.

Until then, Ben Sulayem’s re-election stands — provisionally.

A Tenure Full of Flashpoints

Since taking over from Jean Todt in 2021, the former rally driver’s presidency has rarely been quiet.

He has clashed with drivers — most notably Lewis Hamilton — over language and conduct, while the FIA’s crackdown on swearing earlier this year sparked fierce resistance before fines were eventually softened.

Governance concerns deepened in April when FIA deputy president Robert Reid resigned, citing transparency issues and questioning Ben Sulayem’s leadership.

For now, though, Ben Sulayem remains firmly in the FIA hot seat — even if the final verdict may yet come from a courtroom, not a ballot box.

(With agency inputs)