Legal War at the Summit of Motorsport on the Eve of FIA Elections: Ben Sulayem Poised for Second Term, but the Judge Could Overturn the Result
The FIA presidency is hanging by a thread. What looked like a simple and forgone re-election for the current president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who remained the sole candidate, has transformed into a full-fledged legal battle.
Candidate Laura Villars has challenged the entire electoral process, obtaining a crucial referral on the merits from the Paris Court. Although the December 12 vote will proceed regularly, the ruling expected in February opens the door to a potential, unprecedented annulment of the results. The governance of world motorsport is officially hanging in the balance. But let’s take a step back.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President since 2021, had announced his re-election bid for a second term last September. The elections are scheduled for December 12th in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, during the FIA General Assembly.
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Initially, the race seemed much more crowded. Contenders included the American Tim Mayer (former F1 steward), the Swiss Laura Villars (driver and entrepreneur, the first woman candidate), and, subsequently, the Belgian Virginie Philippot (former model, entrepreneur, and journalist).
The scenario radically changed at the end of October. Mayer and Philippot withdrew, lashing out against the lack of transparency in the electoral process and calling it a democratic illusion.
The crucial issue lies in the FIA’s strict rules, which mandate the presentation of a complete list of vice-presidents for each geographic area. The South American block proved decisive, with only Fabiana Ecclestone (wife of Bernie Ecclestone and a well-known supporter of Ben Sulayem) deemed eligible, effectively blocking the challengers’ lists.
On November 20th, the FIA confirmed Ben Sulayem as the sole valid candidate, setting the stage for a plebiscite. But the legal battle had just begun.
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Already in October, Laura Villars had filed a lawsuit against the electoral rules, demanding the suspension of the entire vote. Although the Paris court chose to let next week’s elections proceed regularly, yesterday’s ruling radically changed the stakes.
Through a press release sent directly to us, the candidate highlighted the first point in favor of her legal action: “The judge did not validate any of the FIA’s arguments.” Although the court rejected the urgent request for suspension, it referred the examination of the issue to February 16, 2026, confirming that “the alleged irregularities concerning the presidential election must be examined by the judges dealing with the merits.”
The implication is clear and unprecedented in the history of the Federation: despite the vote concluding with the probable re-election of Ben Sulayem, the result remains provisional and hangs by a thread.
Villars communicated that the legal battle is officially open, with direct consequences on the vote: “The case must be examined on the merits; the results of this election may be re-examined, challenged, or annulled by the court.”
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Among the issues the court must examine in February, the focal point of the scandal that led to the withdrawal of the other candidates stands out: “The unprecedented situation of a single eligible candidate for the South America region.”
The stakes are, therefore, decidedly high: “The decision may, in turn, have a major impact on the legitimacy of the election and the future governance of the FIA.”
The candidate concludes by clarifying that her goal is bigger than the presidency itself, explaining that she is acting to “safeguard the credibility, fairness, and integrity of international motorsport.”
The debate on the alleged irregularities begins now. And the date of February 16, 2026 is shaping up to be the decisive day for the Federation’s future.
Photos: Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Laura Villars on X
