FIA Presidential Election Plunges into Legal Uncertainty Amid Unopposed Race

The upcoming presidential election for the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), motorsport’s global governing body, is set to proceed next week, though its legitimacy faces a significant legal challenge that could potentially overturn the results in February 2026. Incumbent president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is poised to secure a second four-year term, running unopposed due to unique electoral regulations.

Swiss racing driver Laura Villars, who had expressed her intention to challenge Ben Sulayem, initiated legal action against the FIA in October, contesting its election process. Villars’ legal team sought an emergency court order in Paris to suspend the election. While the Paris court did not halt the proceedings, it acknowledged that the “irregularities raised regarding the presidential election must be examined,” according to a statement from Villars’ camp.

Millenium TV has learned that the election will take place as scheduled on December 12 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. However, the legal battle is far from over. Robin Binsard, representing Villars, stated, “We will therefore continue this litigation against the FIA before the judges sitting on the merits. A first hearing is scheduled for 16 February 2026.” The statement further indicated that the election’s “validity, in light of the objections raised, may be reviewed, challenged, or annulled” at this future hearing.

An FIA spokesperson confirmed the French court’s decision on December 3, allowing the election to proceed. The spokesperson added that the organization “remains focused on the forthcoming General Assemblies and discussing with its member clubs globally important issues for both motorsport and automotive mobility.”

Villars announced her candidacy in September but, like American hopeful Tim Mayer, was unable to assemble the required slate of potential vice-presidents by the October 24 deadline. Each candidate must nominate an individual from all global FIA regions, but a critical hurdle emerged: only one South American individual, Brazilian Fabiana Ecclestone (wife of former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone), appears on the official list. She is already aligned with Ben Sulayem’s team, effectively preventing any other candidate from fulfilling this crucial nomination requirement and thus blocking their entry into the election.

Villars’ objections specifically highlight the “impossibility of presenting an alternative list,” the “unprecedented situation of a single eligible candidate” for the South American region, and questions regarding the electoral procedures’ compliance with the FIA’s stated principles of governance, democracy, and integrity. Mayer, who abandoned his own presidential campaign in October, previously accused the FIA of “lacking transparency” and creating an “illusion of democracy.” In response at the time, an FIA spokesperson asserted that the “FIA presidential election is a structured and democratic process, to ensure fairness and integrity at every stage.”

Millenium TV will continue to monitor this developing story as the legal challenge progresses and the validity of the FIA’s electoral process comes under scrutiny.