The FIA Presidential Run

This article covers the FIA presidential run and its current outlook.

(Image credit to Autosport)

The FIA election, which picks the president for the next four years, takes place on the 12th of December and will be held at the governing body's annual general assembly. The two candidates are Mohammed Ben Saylum and Tim Mayer.

Ben Saylum is aiming for another four years as the FIA President, having taken the role after Jean Todt in 2021. As for Tim Mayer - a past Formula 1 Steward - this is his first time running for FIA President. If Ben Saylum wins the election, he will enter his second term as President, meaning as a result of the 12-year limit, he would only be eligible to act as president for one more term after that.

A widely spoken about potential candidate for this year's election was Carlos Sainz Sr. Sainz, father of Williams driver Carlos Sainz Jr, was initially set to run for the election but withdrew due to concerns about a conflict of interest with his own Rally career.

(Image credit to PlanetF1)

On the Friday of the British Grand Prix, Craig Slater, a Sky Sports reporter, interviewed both candidates. Tim Mayer started with some strong criticism for Ben Saylum, stating that “his presidency has been a rain of terror.” Slater had asked Mohammed Ben Saylum what he thought of the “very strong terms” of what Mayer described as his Presidency. Ben Saylum responded by laughing and continued, “I was told, I just laughed.” Tim Mayer went on to say that “He has pushed out people of color, he has pushed out women in powerful positions,” But before responding to Mayer's backlash, Ben Saylum challenged the assertion, asking Craig Slater if Mayer had provided any proof of this. Slater replied with “he didn't give specific examples.” Ben Saylum then responded, saying, “I think we have over a hundred females added to us in certain positions”.

Mayer has stated that his presidential campaign is not out of “Revenge,” referring to his dismissal as a Steward last season, which he deemed to be unfair and called “Disappointing.”

And followed with “But it gave me the opportunity to reflect on the state of the FIA.”

Over his current period of being FIA president, Mohammed Ben Saylum has been labelled as controversial within the Paddock and by many Motorsport fans. This was particularly in response to his attempt to ban drivers from wearing jewelry during races. Lewis Hamilton, seven-time World Champion, had voiced his opinion that he believed the FIA was fussing too much over jewelry instead of focusing on bigger issues. Furthering his reputation as a controversial figure, Ben Saylum has also introduced monetary penalties related to drivers' language.

So with this information, who do you think will be the next FIA president?

Article written by Jessica Livingstone