FIA president Ben Sulayem confirms intention to stand for second term

• Emirati says he is happy for Sainz to stand against him in election
• FIA has “raw deal” if F1 drivers and team principals make more money than the governing body

Mohammed Ben Sulayem has confirmed he will run for a second term as president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA).

Speaking to Reuters at the Monaco Grand Prix, the Emirati confirmed his intentions for the upcoming election on 12th December in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

“I feel having three years in a complex federation like the FIA is not enough,” he said.

“Do I need more time? Yes. Has it been easy? Never. Has it been enjoyable? Sometimes. So, I am going [to stand]. I consulted with most of the members. I speak to them.”

The Emirati added that he wanted to “keep growing motorsport. To make the FIA stronger and stronger. This is my ambition and that’s what I will do.”

Ben Sulayem’s time as president of the FIA has been dogged by controversy but the Emirati appears to still have the required support to be reelected in December. He may not run unopposed, though, with Carlos Sainz Sr currently mulling over whether to challenge the incumbent president.

In an apparent response to this proposed move, Ben Sulayem has put forward a change to the FIA rules that states there ‘must not be anything in the record of the candidates standing for the election as members of the presidential list that calls into question their professional integrity’.

Of course, Sainz Sr is the father of current Formula One driver Carlos Sainz. However, Ben Sulayem told Reuters he is happy for Sainz Sr to stand against him.

The FIA also recently posted an operating profit of €4.7 million (US$5.3 million) in 2024, ending five straight years of operating losses for the governing body. This performance may be the good news that Ben Sulayem needs to ensure his position is secure for the next four years.

Even so, Ben Sulayem also complained that the FIA had been “neglected” with the commercial rights controlled by Liberty Media. The European Commission advised in 2001 that, as a governing body, the FIA could not also control the commercial rights of Formula One.

He continued: “Raw deals have been given to the FIA. It doesn’t make sense to me that one [Formula One] driver and one team principal make more money than all of the FIA, and the FIA owns the championship. Is that fair?”

Go deeper:

• FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem accused of ‘broken promises’ by Motorsport UK chair
• FIA deputy president Robert Reid resigns as body’s former CEO laments ‘serious structural challenges’