Ben Sulayem aims to tighten his grip before the election

BBC F1 has obtained a confidential document revealing the intentions of FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who is seeking to profoundly change the rules of the automotive body. These changes, which are to be put to a vote at the next FIA General Assembly in June, appear designed to strengthen his grip on the federation, particularly with an eye toward the presidential election scheduled for December 2025.

Statutory changes that raise questions

Among the most controversial proposals is the introduction of a new eligibility criterion for presidential candidates. This provision would stipulate that there must be nothing in the candidates’ backgrounds that questions their professional integrity. According to the British media, this criterion, combined with the FIA’s code of ethics regarding conflicts of interest, could potentially be used against Carlos Sainz Sr., who has recently expressed his intention to run.

Indeed, the situation of Sainz Sr. is peculiar since his son, Carlos Sainz Jr., is currently a driver for Williams in F1. This family relationship could theoretically be interpreted as a conflict of interest by the ethics committee, controlled by Ben Sulayem and his allies following the statutory changes adopted last year.

A tightened electoral calendar

The proposals from Ben Sulayem also include moving the deadline for declaring candidacies from 21 to 49 days before the election. While the official justification mentions the need to give the nominations committee more time to verify candidates’ eligibility, some see it as a maneuver to extend the period during which the president could look for reasons to exclude potential candidates.

To understand the issue, it is important to know that FIA rules require candidates to present a complete team including a Senate president, vice-presidents for sport and mobility, as well as seven regional vice-presidents. All these positions must be filled for a candidacy to be accepted, which already presents a significant organizational constraint.

The new extended deadline would further complicate the task for challengers like Sainz Sr., who would have less time to finalize their full team after deciding to participate. Meanwhile, this would give the nominations committee, close to Ben Sulayem, nearly seven weeks to scrutinize the candidates’ files and potentially find grounds for invalidation.

The control of the Senate in question

Another proposed modification concerns the appointment of Senate members, the body that controls the FIA in conjunction with the president. Currently, four of the sixteen members are proposed by the president and confirmed by the other twelve Senate members. Ben Sulayem now wishes to directly appoint these four members without supervision from the other senators.

The justification given is to offer more flexibility to access the required expertise on the many and diverse issues to be addressed, which may require an urgent decision. However, the current statutes of the FIA already contain Article 18.4, which allows the Senate to invite other members to participate in the study of specific issues, which seems to already address this concern.

A Reshaped World Council

Ben Sulayem also proposes to change the composition of the World Motor Sport Council, the legislative body of the organization. The current rules stipulate that 21 of the 28 members must be of different nationalities. The new proposal would allow no more than two members of the same nationality among the seven vice-presidents and the 14 elected members of the WMSC, in the name of flexibility.

If the document justifies this change by the desire not to deprive itself of candidates from other backgrounds whose experience and qualities could also be beneficial to the WMSC in the fulfillment of its missions, some observers see it as a maneuver to allow Ben Sulayem to fill the council with the people he wishes.

Precedents that cause concern

These proposals come in a context already marked by tensions. Last December, Ben Sulayem was criticized for statutory changes described as “an alarming concentration of power” by one of the FIA member clubs. Last year, he also dismissed the heads of the audit and ethics committees after they were involved in investigations concerning him.

The reforms proposed by the current president will be put to a vote at the next FIA General Assembly in June. If these changes pass, they could seriously compromise the emergence of a credible opposition in the presidential election, thereby significantly strengthening Ben Sulayem’s grip on the institution.