Election rules, regional quotas — and a bottleneck in South America
The FIA's presidential vote on December 12 could see incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem run unchallenged — not purely on politics, but on process. Candidates must submit a 10-person leadership slate by October 24, including a Senate president, two deputy presidents and seven vice presidents for sport, each drawn from specified global regions.
The critical shortage
Of the 29 eligible vice-presidential candidates, only one currently represents South America: Fabiana Ecclestone of Brazil. She is aligned with Ben Sulayem and cannot appear on multiple slates. That single-slot bottleneck leaves rivals such as former steward Tim Mayer and Virginie Philippot scrambling to complete compliant tickets, or risk withdrawal. Swiss-French racer Laura Villars has not yet engaged with the FIA's procedural steps and is effectively out of the running.
Could the race be over before it begins?
If opposing candidates fail to field a valid regional slate by the deadline, Ben Sulayem would stand unopposed and retain the presidency. Mayer remains publicly calm and is seeking a solution, but the clock is ticking — and the rulebook may decide the outcome as much as the electorate.
