F1 | Who is Laura Villars? Meet the racing driver aiming to become FIA president. Discover Laura Villars, the 28-year-old Swiss racing driver and entrepreneur making history.

Discover Laura Villars, the 28-year-old Swiss racing driver and entrepreneur making history

From the track to the boardroom: Laura Villars, the 28-year-old Swiss driver, is running to lead the FIA, writing a historic new chapter in motorsport.

A bolt from the blue has shaken the FIA: for the first time in its history, a woman has decided to run for the presidency of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile. Not a long-time political figure, but a true racing protagonist, equipped with racing suit, helmet, and track numbers.

Behind this bold move is Laura Villars, born on August 29, 1997, in Switzerland. A professional racing driver and entrepreneur, Villars represents a new generation of leadership: independent, modern, and responsible. “The FIA must return to being the federation of clubs and licenses,” she stated when presenting her program, focused on transparency, sustainability, and inclusion.

An International Racing Career

Despite her young age, Villars has already accumulated 58 race starts in prominent championships: from the Ultimate Cup Series F3R, where she finished fifth overall in her first full season in 2023, to more recent adventures in F4 UAE, F4 Saudi Arabia, and the Ferrari Challenge Europe. She currently competes in the Ligier European Series JS P4 with Team Virage.

The results speak for themselves: Villars is not just a symbolic presence but a highly competitive and dedicated driver. She embodies the dual perspective of someone who lives motorsport firsthand and someone determined to change it from within.

The Entrepreneur Behind the Driver

Speed isn’t the only thing that defines her. On her LinkedIn profile, Laura describes herself as a “passionate entrepreneur and dedicated racing driver with a unique background blending business, luxury, and high-performance sport.” Her degree in Business Management and leadership of two companies she founded underscore her entrepreneurial vision, focused on excellence and independence.

This combination, if applied to FIA governance, could radically shift the existing power dynamics in motorsport.

An Unprecedented Challenge

Her candidacy faces well-established figures: the current president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and former F1 steward Tim Mayer. But beyond the names, the real shockwave is the fact that, for the first time, a woman is running for the highest position in global motorsport.

A move that alone is historic, raising an inevitable question: will the future of the FIA be shaped by a generational revolution?