Recaps

Race Week Recap #62 – The FIA Election Edition

By Jeppe H. Olesen 5 min read
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem in front of FIA and F1 logos at a press conference

Hi friends,

How’s everyone feeling about “papaya rules” these days? It’s going to gloves off in the final six races for sure.

Top Story of the Week: Mohammed Ben Sulayem Set for Unopposed Reelection

Mohammed Ben Sulayem is on course to face December’s FIA presidential vote without any opposition, after a technical quirk in the federation’s election rules have left rival candidates struggling to submit a legally valid list before the deadline. A newly published list of eligible World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) nominees shows South America represented by a single name, Fabiana Ecclestone, creating a regional bottleneck that may make it impossible for anyone else to qualify. 

The Rulebook That Boxes Rivals In

To run for FIA president, a candidate must file a complete “Presidential List”, not just for the top job but also for leadership roles beneath it. That list must include seven Vice Presidents for Sport, one drawn from each geographic region (Middle East & North Africa, Africa, North America, South America, Asia‑Pacific, and two from Europe). Crucially, those Vice Presidents have to be selected from among the WMSC nominees for the region they will represent. The paperwork can be lodged no later than 24 October 2025. Names cannot be duplicated across competing lists. If a duplication occurs, the offending list becomes ineligible until it replaces the clashing name and replacements still have to meet all other conditions. 

That architecture is designed to balance regional representation. In practice this year, it has created a chokepoint.

The South America Bottleneck

The FIA’s official WMSC eligibility list names one South American nominee: Fabiana Ecclestone (Brazil), wife of former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone. With only a single eligible South American from whom to pick a Vice President for Sport, any list that doesn’t include Ecclestone cannot be complete, and any list that does include her can’t be submitted by more than one presidential candidate.

Ben Sulayem has already announced his line‑up for a second term, and Eccelstone features on his slate as Vice President for Sport (South America).

Why the Challengers Are Stuck

Three would‑be rivals have publicly signalled presidential ambitions: Tim Mayer (USA), Laura Villars (Switzerland) and Virginie Philippot (Belgium). None has named a full team. Without an eligible South American Vice President however, they cannot submit a valid Presidential List by the 24 October cut‑off, and the rules bar sharing nominees across lists. The vote itself is scheduled for 12 December at the FIA General Assembly in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. 

Could the Rules Be Changed in Time?

In theory, yes, but not in practice. Election rules are set by the Statutes and Internal Regulations and would have to be amended by the General Assembly. The next ordinary General Assembly is in December (the same meeting where the election happens), which falls after the list‑submission deadline. An Extraordinary General Assembly (EGA) could change rules earlier, but under Article 9 of the FIA Statutes an EGA must be convened by the President within 90 days either at the request of at least one‑fifth of FIA member countries or following a Senate resolution. Even if such a request were made now, the 90‑day clock would push any EGA well beyond the 24 October filing deadline, and likely beyond the 12 December election date. 

What Changed This Summer

Member clubs approved several governance amendments in June. The FIA says these updates are meant to “strengthen processes around governance and confidentiality,” including giving the Nominations Committee more time to review eligibility. Critics argue the changes have the effect of tightening control over who can stand and when, advantaging the incumbent by compressing campaign timelines. 

Separately, some coverage has suggested the nominations and ethics machinery sits within structures influenced by the current leadership. Others dispute how much practical difference that makes. Either way, the constraints facing challengers this cycle are the unchanged structural requirements for a complete Presidential List and the scarcity of eligible nominees in key regions. 

Why There’s Only One South American WMSC Nominee

The FIA hasn’t publicly explained the one‑name slate for South America. Under the rules, only Full Members with sporting authority and at least one event on the international calendar could nominate WMSC candidates, and they had to do so by 16 September 2025. After that, the Nominations Committee evaluates eligibility. Any of several mundane explanations could apply: only one member club put a name forward, additional submissions missed the deadline or failed eligibility checks, or other nominees withdrew. The documents published by the FIA outline the process but do not list rejected candidates or reasons. 

The kicker here, is that following the changes to the FIA governance passed in June, the incumbent President Mohammed Ben Sulayem holds significant power over who is approved and rejected as WMSC candidates.

The Bottom Line

Barring an unforeseen procedural fix, the combination of a hard October 24 deadline, a prohibition on Vice Presidents appearing on multiple lists, and a lone South American nominee leaves Mayer, Villars and Philippot with no viable path to file a complete list. That, in turn, points toward an uncontested election for Mohammed Ben Sulayem in December.

The Rest of the Stories This Week:

That’s it for this week, thank you for being here.

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Jeppe H. Olesen

I write things about motorsports.