FIA issues statement after explosive claims from former presidential candidate

The FIA has responded to the accusation that its election process is "flawed" after the leading candidate to depose Mohammed Ben Sulayem from office pulled out of the running.

Ben Sulayem will now be unopposed when it comes to the December 12 election, ensuring a second term in charge after taking over from Jean Todt at the end of 2021.

In announcing his exit from the election, just over three months after confirming his candidacy, former FIA steward Mayer issued a withering attack on the process that governs an FIA presidential election.

Mayer described it as "flawed", with the FIA presenting an "illusion of democracy". The American took particular aim at how a candidate's supporting cast is drawn up, which must include the president of the Senate, deputy president for automobile mobility and tourism, and the deputy president for sport, and seven vice-presidents for sport.

Those individuals must be taken from an FIA-approved list of candidates and must come from different regions. Mayer was blocked by the fact that the South American representative, Fabiana Ecclestone, the wife of former FIA supremo Bernie, is already on Ben Sualyem's list.

Via a statement issued to RacingNews365, the FIA has made clear its processes are transparent and have long been in place.

The statement read: "The FIA presidential election is a structured and democratic process, to ensure fairness and integrity at every stage

"The 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."