FIA presidential term limits set to be abandoned

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is pushing to remove the cap on how long a person can serve as head of motorsport's governing body.

The proposal, which would allow the 64-year-old to remain in office beyond the current 12-year maximum, is set to be debated and voted upon at next month's FIA General Assembly, where it is widely expected to be ratified.

Under the statutes currently in force, the FIA presidency operates on four-year terms with a maximum of three, giving any incumbent a ceiling of 12 years in post.

Ben Sulayem, who first took office in December 2021, was re-elected without opposition last year after a quirk in the organisation's election rules prevented rival candidates from standing.

In a statement shared with RacingNews365, an FIA spokesperson said: "A proposal has been put forward to establish a consistent approach to tenure across all FIA bodies, similar to what currently exists for the world councils and the senate. The proposal is subject to approval by the World Councils and by the General Assembly. FIA bodies retain full authority to democratically elect officeholders."

According to BBC Sport, when asked why the decision had been taken to abolish term limits entirely, rather than extend them to roles that do not currently carry any such restriction, a spokesperson from the motorsport governing body was unable to offer a specific explanation.

Instead, the FIA reportedly pointed to the NFL in the United States as a model, noting that commissioner Roger Goodell had held his position since 2006 and had "transformed the sport into a global brand, and it has an outstanding governance record."

The three-term limit that Ben Sulayem now seeks to remove was itself put in place by his predecessor, Jean Todt. The Frenchman had followed Max Mosley into the role; Mosley served as FIA president from 1993 until agreeing not to stand again following tensions with F1 teams in 2009.

Stricter rules for challengers

Alongside the term-limit proposals, two further changes to the FIA statutes have been put forward, both of which would raise the bar for any future presidential candidate seeking to challenge Ben Sulayem.

The first would require candidates to "demonstrate sufficient experience within an FIA member or an FIA body," adding a layer of qualification not previously enshrined in the rules.

The second would more than double the deadline by which prospective candidates must submit the full list of their proposed vice-presidential team, extending that window from 49 days before the election to 100 days.

It was precisely the vice-presidential list requirement, which mandates a figure in that position from each region to be party to the candidate's bid, that derailed multiple attempts at the last election.

Opponents were barred from standing because the published list of eligible candidates for the South American vice-presidential for sport role contained only one name: Fabiana Ecclestone, wife of former Formula 1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, who was already part of Ben Sulayem's team.

With no alternative South American candidate available, no rival could complete their required slate, and the election became uncontested by default.

That rule had been in place before Ben Sulayem took office, though the circumstances of its application have attracted considerable scrutiny.

One of the prospective challengers, Laura Villars, is currently pursuing legal action against the FIA in the French courts over the conduct of that election process.

Other FIA positions that currently carry term limits include the president of the anti-doping committee and the head of the Formula 1 cost-cap committee, both of which would also lose those restrictions under the proposed changes.