BREAKING NEWS: COURT ACCEPTS LAURA VILLARS’ CASE TO CONTEST FIA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
Backstory
Laura Villars planned to run against current FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in December’s election. But because of the FIA’s rules, no other candidate is actually able to stand, leaving Ben Sulayem unopposed.
Villars has taken the issue to a Paris court. She is asking the judge to pause the 12 December election until the court rules on whether the process is fair. A hearing was set for 10 November.
She says the FIA must follow its own statutes, which promise good governance, transparency, and democracy. Since the FIA is based in Paris, French law applies. Villars insists she is not attacking the organisation but trying to protect it by ensuring a fair and open election.
The court has invited both sides to a mediation meeting. Villars says she will attend “calmly and with good faith,” hoping it leads to real dialogue. Her lawyer says the court’s fast-track approval shows it takes the concerns seriously.
If Villars wins, the election could be delayed while the FIA reviews its rules. Ben Sulayem would stay in place but with limited powers. The court could even appoint an external caretaker.
Her main argument is that the rules block anyone from running against Ben Sulayem. Candidates must name vice-presidents from each FIA region, but South America has only one eligible candidate, Fabiana Ecclestone, who is on Ben Sulayem’s team. This makes it impossible for others to form a valid list. Another potential candidate, Tim Mayer, quit his campaign, calling the process “lacking transparency.”
Court accepts Laura’s case
A Paris judge has allowed the legal case brought by FIA presidential candidate Laura Villars to move forward, keeping alive her challenge to the federation’s upcoming election. The decision, issued after an emergency hearing, rejected the FIA’s attempt to halt the proceedings at an early stage.
Villars argues that the December 12, 2025 election suffers from serious irregularities, including the absence of an alternative candidate list, a single eligible candidate for South America, and what she describes as opaque decisions by the FIA’s Nominations Committee. Her team claims these issues raise doubts about the election’s fairness and transparency.
The court did not rule on the substance of these allegations. Instead, it determined that the concerns are significant enough to be examined in full during a dedicated hearing scheduled for February 16, 2026. The election will still go ahead as planned, but its validity may later be reviewed, or even annulled, depending on the outcome of the case.
Villars framed the judge’s decision as a step toward safeguarding good governance in motorsport. Her campaign argues that the process should reflect the standards of accountability expected from the world’s leading motorsport authority.
The ruling places renewed focus on the FIA’s internal procedures at a moment of intense political tension within the federation, setting the stage for a potentially consequential legal showdown early next year.
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