AUSTIN, Texas — American motorsport official Tim Mayer announced on Friday that he is withdrawing from the race to become president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), arguing that the organization’s statutes make it impossible to challenge current president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the U.S. Formula One Grand Prix in Austin, the former Formula 1 steward criticized the election framework as undemocratic. “There will be no election, no debate between ideas, no examination of leadership, only one candidate, the incumbent,” Mayer said. “That’s not democracy. That’s the illusion of democracy.”The FIA presidential election, scheduled for December 12 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, requires each candidate to present a complete list of vice-presidential nominees from every major region of the world.
However, Mayer explained that most eligible regional representatives are aligned with Ben Sulayem’s team, leaving no room for independent participation.“In South America, only one person stood for the World Motor Sport Council, Fabiana Ecclestone, who is part of the incumbent’s group,” Mayer noted. “In Africa, only two candidates came forward, both connected with the same leadership.
The result is simple: no one but the incumbent can stand under the FIA system.”Mayer lamented that more than 40 people were eligible for the World Motor Sport Council in the previous election when Ben Sulayem succeeded Jean Todt in 2021. He questioned whether member clubs had genuinely lost interest or had been influenced not to run.The FIA has not issued an official response to Mayer’s withdrawal or his accusations. The deadline for submitting presidential candidacies remains October 24.