Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President and former racer, was reelected for a second term to lead the motorsport governing body unopposed in early December 2025. Yes, you read that correctly—unopposed, because no other candidates were eligible to stand. And it gets even more absurd: the FIA announced that Ben Sulayem won with 91.51% of the vote.

How can anyone win such an overwhelming percentage when there is no opposition? In reality, the margin of Ben Sulayem’s “victory” is meaningless because he was the only one candidate allowed to stand for the election.

This so-called election process resembles those used by authoritarian regimes or colonial powers seeking to manufacture legitimacy. The FIA is merely a motorsport governing body—why should one person be considered more important than any other?

Why is Ben Sulayem viewed as the only viable candidate to such an extent that the FIA has to engineer a farcical election to renew its presidency? And why is his leadership considered so critical that it has brought the organisation into disrepute?

After all, the FIA sets international standards for motorsports worldwide. If it cannot govern itself legitimately, how can it effectively govern global motorsports? Governance is central to everything the FIA does, and it has historically worn that badge proudly.

However, the FIA presidency has always been a poisoned chalice. Previous presidents often used the role for ego and power. Jean Todt was different—he quietly performed his duties, avoided the spotlight, and rarely caused a fuss.

Todt’s predecessor, Max Mosley, was a sharp intellectual who modernised the FIA’s organisational structure. While his personal life overshadowed his work, he was a model president: fair-minded, stoic, a problem solver, and willing to implement necessary changes for the good of motorsports.

Ben Sulayem, by contrast, appears focused on retaining power. He reportedly requires key FIA personnel to sign NDAs, has altered governance structures to limit accountability, and has attempted to control negative press. The recent presidential election has been widely criticised for “serious democratic failings.”

Intellectually, Ben Sulayem does not inspire confidence. For example, he has expressed beliefs that women are not as capable as men—an assertion easily disproven in any academic or professional setting.

As FIA President, Ben Sulayem comes across as unusual, perhaps even odd. It seems likely that his influence, rather than unique capability, secured him the role. Yet running the FIA is no ordinary job—it has always required navigating a uniquely complex and high-profile organisation.