The outgoing president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) Mohammed Ben Sulayem, has been re-elected, unsurprisingly, to remain in office until the end of 2029, following an election marked by a controversy that will be examined in a French court starting February 2026.
Ben Sulayem, 64, who has led the governing body of world motorsport since late 2021 after succeeding Frenchman Jean Todt, was the sole candidate for his own re-election in the vote held Friday in Uzbekistan, where the federation’s General Assembly took place.
“I am committed to continuing to work for the FIA, for motorsport, for mobility, and for our member clubs in all regions of the world,” Ben Sulayem said in a statement. He is a 14-time Middle East Rally Championship titleholder.
During his first term, he focused his campaign on modernizing the FIA and increasing transparency, promising an external audit of governance, a financial assessment, and the establishment of budgetary and financial reporting.
Under his leadership, the organization which regulates, among others, Formula 1, the World Rally Championship (WRC), and the World Endurance Championship (WEC), shifted from a deficit of 24 million euros in 2021 to a surplus of 4.7 million euros in 2024.
Speaking to several media outlets in early December, the Dubai native said he is looking forward “to the next four years.”
“Cleaning up within the organization wasn’t easy, finding the right people and recruiting new ones was a challenge, but today I can say those years of investment were worth it,” he said.
He added: “If you ask me what I would have done differently, I’d say nothing. I wouldn’t be here without overcoming these challenges, these attacks…”
