Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s re-election could be overturned as Paris court demands 2026 trial

Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s re-election could be overturned as Paris court demands 2026 trial. A Paris court has ordered a trial against the FIA over the upcoming presidential election.

FIA presidency: Paris court orders trial

The Paris court has ordered a trial against the FIA at the beginning of 2026 to determine the legality of the upcoming presidential election, in which Mohammed Ben Sulayem is currently the only candidate.

The judicial court of Paris issued an initial ruling after receiving a petition from Laura Villars, who had previously announced her candidacy for the FIA presidency.

The judge did not suspend the imminent election nor make any decision before it. However, the court ruled that a trial must take place to address the “substantial issue” raised, effectively leaving none of the arguments from either side validated and referring them to the competent judges for examination.

The 28-year-old Swiss driver had announced her intention to succeed Mohammed Ben Sulayem in the election held every four years at the helm of the International Automobile Federation. However, due to the strict requirements needed to submit a valid list, the incumbent president will be running unopposed. Besides Laura Villars, other declared candidates, Tim Mayer and Virginie Philippot, also withdrew, unable to qualify for the election.

French courts have now announced the opening of a trial “against the FIA before the competent judges” starting on 16 February 2026. This is when the hearings on the alleged violations will take place.

Meanwhile, the presidential election will proceed as scheduled on 12 December in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, alongside the FIA’s annual general assembly. Mohammed Ben Sulayem will be automatically reelected for a second term. Subsequently, the trial could challenge the election’s validity and even annul it, but only if the judges rule accordingly. At this stage, it remains purely a possibility.

Laura Villars and her legal team raised several issues before the court: “The impossibility of presenting an alternative list; the unprecedented situation of a sole eligible candidate in the South American region; the transparency and operation of the Nomination Committee; and the compliance of the electoral procedures with the governance, democracy, and integrity principles that the FIA claims to uphold.”

In a press statement following the Paris court’s order, Laura Villars said: “We are acting for the credibility, fairness, and integrity of international motorsport. I will continue to fight before the judges to ensure an electoral process that meets the governance standards expected of an international organization.”