The FIA rebuked former presidential candidate Tim Mayer’s criticism of the electoral process, saying the requirements for the presidential list have applied for previous elections.
Mayer announced he is pulling out of the running to go up against Mohammed Ben Sulayem in December, citing the requirement to have a vice president for sport from every region as blocking challengers on this occasion. Mayer’s criticism was of a lack of candidates on the list from South America (one) and Africa (two), with the only options all already aligned to Ben Sulayem.
Calling the process “the illusion of democracy,” Mayer questioned why there had been a 27 percent reduction in candidate numbers for the presidential list compared to the last election, but the FIA says the rules have been known for a number of months and that candidates could have prepared earlier to have supporters put forward for the World Motor Sport Council.
“The FIA Presidential election is a structured and democratic process, to ensure fairness and integrity at every stage,” an FIA spokesperson said.
“Requirements for the 2025 FIA elections, including the relevant deadlines and eligibility criteria for the presidential list and World Councils, are defined in the FIA Statutes and Internal Regulations, which are publicly available on the FIA’s website. Detailed information regarding these elections has also been made available on a dedicated page on the FIA’s website since 13 June 2025 and communicated to all FIA Members.
“The requirements related to the regional representation of the vice presidents for sport, and to select them from the World Motor Sport Council in order to draw up a presidential list, are not new. These criteria applied to previous elections.
“As to be expected, preparing a candidature for a presidential list or the World Councils requires certain steps to be taken. Prospective candidates have had since the publication of the detailed information on 13 June to prepare their applications.”
As a result of Mayer’s withdrawal and the available presidential list candidates, current FIA president Ben Sulayem is set to run unopposed.