Former Swiss racing driver Laura Villars has launched legal action against motor racing’s FIA over a quirk in the governing body’s rules, that bars other candidates from challenging president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in the upcoming election.
Villars was one of three potential candidates to voice their intention to stand against Ben Sulayem for the December 12 election, alongside FIA senior steward Tim Mayer and Belgian journalist Virginie Philpott.
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However, earlier this month, it was revealed that Ben Sulayem would stand as the only candidate due to a quirk in election rules that – in this case – is preventing other candidates from being eligible to stand.
Under FIA rules, candidates are required to submit a list of potential team members featuring 10 names, including the president, president of the Senate, two deputy presidents, and seven vice-presidents from each of the FIA’s global regions.
However, there is only one candidate from the World Council list available as a potential vice-president from South America – Brazil’s Fabiana Ecclestone, wife of former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone, who has already backed Ben Sulayem.
With no other South American representatives to choose from, no other candidates are eligible to stand for the election, leaving Ben Sulayem unopposed.
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By GlobalDataA new rule was passed earlier this year to allow the FIA Senate, controlled by Ben Sulayem, to nominate two candidates to the world council, effectively giving the president the power to unblock himself from standing for election if he was unable to meet the requirement for vice-presidential candidates. That move is not available to non-incumbents.
Now, Villar has filed a Référé Procedure in Paris, which allows for an expedited court ruling, with the first hearing set for November 10. She has requested that the election be suspended until a ruling is made.
She has claimed that the election process in its current form goes against FIA statutes that require the federation to act to “the highest standards of governance, transparency, and democracy,” as well as French law, since the FIA’s headquarters are in Paris.
Speaking to the BBC, Villars said: “This procedure aims to ensure that the FIA’s upcoming presidential election, currently set for 12 December 2025, complies with the organization’s own statutes and with fundamental democratic principles.
“This step is neither hostile nor political – it is a responsible and constructive initiative to safeguard transparency, ethics, and pluralism within global motorsport governance.
“As I have stated publicly, I am not acting against the FIA. I am acting to protect it. Democracy is not a threat to the FIA; it is its strength.”
An FIA spokesperson said that due to the nature of the legal process, it is not able to comment.
Villars said the court has invited both parties to a mediation meeting, adding: “I will go to this mediation hearing with the same attitude I have maintained from the beginning – calm, openness, and determination.
“I hope it will finally lead to a sincere dialogue in the service of an FIA that is more modern, fair, and connected to its members.
“I have twice tried to open a constructive dialogue with the FIA on essential matters such as internal democracy and the transparency of electoral rules. The responses received were not up to the challenge.”
Should Villars succeed in her case, the election could be suspended until an investigation into governance changes at the FIA is completed.
If the process takes longer than the December 12 deadline, Ben Sulayem will remain president but with a mandate that will prevent him from making any significant decisions. The courts could also demand that an external caretaker be put in place.
Ben Sulayem has served as president since December 2021, succeeding Jean Todt. He confirmed his intention to stand for a second term in May.
The move is just the latest example of the growing discontent within some circles in motorsport over how the FIA, and particularly Ben Sulayem, has been changing how the governing body operates to his favour.
Along with the rule change allowing Ben Sulayem to unblock himself from standing for election, the president recently removed senior figures in the FIA who have raised concerns over his conduct and that of the organization, including former chief executive Natalie Robyn, head of the audit committee Bertrand Badre, compliance officer Paolo Basarri, and Mayer, who was removed from his role last November.
At the time, Mayer accused Ben Sulayem of a “failure in leadership” and a “reign of terror”, while Robyn said the FIA has “serious ongoing structural challenges."
At the time the election quirks were reported, Robert Reid, who resigned from his role as deputy president of the FIA in April, took to LinkedIn to state: "If the incumbent already controls those names in any region through persuasion, pressure, or promise, then no challenger can form.
"The process looks democratic, but in practice, it locks the door from the inside. It isn't democracy. It isn't even unusual. But that doesn't make it right."
