Yesterday at 10:59
FIA presidential candidate Tim Mayer officially launched his
campaign to usurp incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem, promising to end
his "reign of terror" at the motorsport governing body. At a press
conference near Silverstone, which is hosting the British Grand
Prix this weekend, the former F1 steward insisted those working at
the FIA "deserve leadership that that provides them with tools" as
well as "vision" and "resources" to utilise. Ben Sulaymen has been
president of the organisation since succeeding Jean Todt in late
2021, with elections set for December this year. After Carlos Sainz
Snr. decided not to run, it appeared the 63-year-old would run
unopposed, but Mayer, who was dismissed as a steward in November,
will now seek to unseat Ben Sulayem. The son of former McLaren boss
Teddy has estimated his campaign could cost upwards of $5 million,
which has been six months in the making. However, he does not
believe wholesale change is required. "Well, I do feel that
restructuring needs to happen," Mayer told media, including
RacingNews365 . "Have we gone backwards in some areas? Yes. "I
would say that there are still a number of very dedicated people
working at the FIA. "And to be honest, the one area of the FIA that
has gone forward is their ability to write a press release
celebrating small victories. So, you know, I think that's a little
ironic, but it's true, they're doing a good job there. "Those
people work very hard. They deserve leadership that provides them
with tools, provides them with a vision, provides them with
resources, and, more than anything else, does not have a reign of
terror every time they walk into the office." 'I am not a
revolutionary...' Mayer was also keen to stress that it is not a
case of seeking "revenge" for being relieved of his duties, and
acknowledged the "Herculean test" of fighting against a deck he
feels is deliberately stacking toward the incumbent. He maintained
he is "not a revolutionary" but believes that a change of
leadership is necessary, marking himself as a candidate who will
"evolve" the FIA. The 59-year-old pointed to the departure of
Natalie Robyn, who was the short-lived and first CEO of the
governing body. She left in May 2024 after just 18 months in the
role. "I think that by just providing good leadership and good
management and bringing in the kinds of people that, in fact,
Mohammed, in all honesty, did bring in to begin with," he said. "He
brought [in] some great people. "Natalie Robyn, as an example, was
a fantastic leader. I got to interact with her quite a bit. I am in
awe of her capabilities, and she just could not make change in that
organisation. "So I think that's what we can bring initially. There
is that leadership, and I don't think we need to break the thing. I
am not a revolutionary. I am somebody who will evolve this
forward."
