Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been re-elected as president of the FIA.
Ben Sulayem controversially ran unopposed on this 12 months’s presidential election, which happened in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, forward of the 2025 prize-giving ceremony. The Emirati will serve a second four-year time period, having first been elected in 2021 with 61.62% of the vote to then deputy president for sport Graham Stoker’s 36.62%.
“Thanks to all our FIA Members for voting in outstanding numbers and putting your belief in me as soon as once more,” Ben Sulayem mentioned. “Now we have overcome many obstacles however right here right this moment, collectively, we’re stronger than ever.
“It’s actually an honour to be FIA president, and I’m dedicated to persevering with to ship for the FIA, for motorsport, for mobility, and for our Member Golf equipment in each area around the globe.”
The 64-year-old initially had extra challengers this time round, specifically former FIA steward Tim Mayer, racing driver Laura Villars, and Virginie Philippot, a mannequin and influencer.
None of them had been truly capable of run although, as a result of rule requiring every candidate to place collectively a workforce of seven vice-presidents from the FIA’s six international areas. The solely eligible vice-president from South America, Fabiana Ecclestone, pledged her assist to Ben Sulayem.
The method was slammed as an “phantasm of democracy” by Mayer, who instructed that some eligible vice-presidents from South America could have been “persuaded, pressured, or promised one thing to not stand”.
In the meantime, Villars sued the FIA over the arguably undemocratic course of. A Paris court docket dominated on 3 December {that a} full trial could be mandatory; it’s going to happen on 16 February. The annulment of right this moment’s presidential election is a possible consequence.
“The election was performed in keeping with the FIA’s statutes by a strong and clear voting course of, reflecting the democratic foundations of the federation and the collective voice of its international membership,” the FIA press launch saying Ben Sulayem’s re-election acknowledged.
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