Overview
- Ben Sulayem lodged a statutory package, reported on Thursday, May 28, that would delete Article 20.10 and bring presidential tenure rules into line with other FIA bodies.
- The package will be debated by the World Councils and put to a vote at the FIA General Assembly next month, where reports say member clubs widely expect it to pass.
- Two parallel amendments would raise entry barriers for challengers by requiring demonstrable FIA experience and by extending the deadline to submit a full seven‑member vice‑presidential slate from 49 days to 100 days.
- Last year’s uncontested re‑election — blocked when no rival could complete the required regional vice‑presidential slate because the only available South American nominee was aligned with Ben Sulayem — is central to critics’ concerns.
- A legal challenge by prospective candidate Laura Villars in the French courts remains active, and approval would also remove term caps on other posts such as the anti‑doping committee president and the Formula 1 cost‑cap committee head, raising questions about governance and turnover.