Laura Villars, a 28-year-old Swiss racing driver, has caused surprise by becoming the third candidate to enter the race for the presidency of the FIA.
Villars, who hails from the Geneva Metropolitan Area, launched her candidacy for December's election, following incumbent president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and former F1 steward Tim Mayer.
Responding to a request for comment about Villars' launching her bid, an FIA spokesperson confirmed to RacingNews365 that it had not received any official candidacy application, a key step in getting onto the ballot for the election, due to be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
But who is Laura Villars?
Villars made her racing debut in 2023 in Formula 3-level championship 'Ultimate Cup Series' and also raced that year in UAE Formula 4 before a move to Saudi Arabia Formula 4 in 2024.
Around this time, as per her LinkedIn page, she founded her own management company to go alongside business interests founded in 2021.
Her LinkedIn biography describes her as a "passionate entrepreneur and committed racing driver with a unique background that blends business, luxury, and high-performance sport."
"I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, and I’m the CEO of two companies I founded with a focus on excellence, independence, and ambition."
In 2025, Villars is competing in the Ligier European Series, inspired by the Le Mans 24 Hours, and founded in 2020 by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), the organisers of the iconic race.
Driving the JS P4 machine, Villars has been partnered with Dario Cabanelas, with races taking place at Barcelona, Paul Ricard, Le Mans, Spa, Silverstone and at Portimao.
After four rounds and seven races of the season, which features double-headers except at Le Mans, Villars has secured a best finish of 10th, earning two points. She did not compete in the previous round at Spa at the end of August.
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