December 15th 2025

Ben Sulayem re-elected as FIA president

Mohammed Ben Sulayem has officially been re-elected as the president of the FIA for a second term during the FIA General Assembly in Uzbekistan.

The presidential election at the year-ending assembly in Tashkent was a formality with Ben Sulayem running unopposed, following the withdrawal of candidates Tim Mayer, Laura Villars and Virginie Philippot. While little was known about Philippot’s interest, both Mayer and Villars stated they were unable to run due to the lack of approved vice president candidates from South America.

Each presidential list – required to to be submitted to the FIA by Oct. 24 this year – must feature candidates for the president of the senate, two deputy presidents, and seven vice presidents. Of the vice presidents, there must be two from Europe and one from each of a number of other regions, all taken from a list of eligible World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) candidates.

That list was published by the FIA earlier this year featuring just one WMSC candidate from South America – Fabiana Ecclestone – who was already aligned with Ben Sulayem, and therefore no potential rival could complete a full presidential list. As a result, the FIA confirmed Ben Sulayem as the only candidate in mid-November, having approved his presidential list.

Despite a legal challenge from Villars that will continue in February, she failed to get the election suspended, and Ben Sulayem’s re-election for a further four-year term was confirmed on Friday.

“Thank you to all our FIA members for voting in remarkable numbers and placing your trust in me once again,” Ben Sulayem said. “We have overcome many obstacles but here today, together, we are stronger than ever.

“It is truly an honor to be FIA president, and I am committed to continuing to deliver for the FIA, for motorsport, for mobility, and for our member clubs in every region around the world.”

Ben Sulayem’s team include Carmelo Sanz de Barros as president of the senate, Timothy Shearman as deputy president for automobile mobility and tourism, and Malcolm Wilson as deputy president for sport.

In announcing the re-election, the FIA says Ben Sulayem has “overseen a period of significant renewal and stabilization for the organization since his initial election in 2021”. The FIA registered a loss of €24 million ($28m) in 2021, but today’s announcement came at the same time as a forecast 2025 operating result of €4.4m ($5.16m).

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