Just over a month before the elections for the presidency of the FIA, a judicial storm threatens to engulf the current head, Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The High Court of Paris has been called upon to rule on an urgent appeal requesting the suspension of the vote. The elections are scheduled for December 12 in Baku, where Ben Sulayem is currently the sole candidate.
The appeal was filed by driver Laura Villars, who, along with two other aspirants, was excluded from the candidacy due to new rules introduced last June. Villars challenges the legitimacy of the electoral regulations, asking for the elections to be blocked until a final ruling is issued. The preliminary hearing is set for November 10.
The FIA rules revision
The amendments to the regulations require that each candidate present a list including seven vice presidents from the six regions of the world, chosen exclusively from a list approved by the FIA. However, only one person represents South America: Fabiana Ecclestone, wife of former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, and a supporter of Ben Sulayem.
This situation has sparked accusations of favoritism and a lack of internal democracy. Concerns had already been raised during the United States Grand Prix weekend by Tim Mayer, another excluded candidate. “The FIA electoral process favors those already in power. Others don’t even have the chance to reach the starting line,” he stated, denouncing an “illusion of democracy.”
If the Paris Court accepts the appeal, the election could be suspended, setting an unprecedented precedent in the history of the Federation. Meanwhile, the case is also shaking the Formula 1 paddock, where discontent is growing over a management considered by many to be opaque and self-referential.
