Swiss racer Laura Villars, 28, has announced her intention to run for FIA president — a move that, if formalised before the October 24 deadline, would make her the first woman to stand for the role. She joins incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem and former F1 steward Tim Mayer in a December 2025 election scheduled for Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The FIA has confirmed it has not yet received an official candidacy application from Villars.
Villars’ CV spans UAE Formula 4, Saudi Arabia Formula 4 and a debut season in Formula 3‑level competition within the Ultimate Cup Series. In 2025 she has been racing in the Ligier European Series (JS P4 prototype) with Dario Cabanelas, logging a best finish of P10 to date. Alongside her driving, she is an entrepreneur, having founded two companies, and describes herself as blending “business, luxury, and high‑performance sport.”
Her manifesto at a glance
- More democratic, transparent governance and stronger club empowerment
- Greater financial transparency and participatory decision‑making
- Enhanced Women in Motorsport programmes and a FIA Young Leaders Academy
- “FIA Eco‑Performance” label to recognise sustainability leadership
- Positioning the FIA as a global benchmark in sustainable mobility and road safety
Villars frames her candidacy as a bid to modernise the federation and open doors to women and younger generations. Whether she gathers the necessary support to reach the ballot is the next test — but her emergence has already widened the contest.
