Election Farce: FIA Presidential Candidate Withdraws, Leaving Incumbent Unchallenged

Tim Mayer, a 59-year-old former Formula 1 steward from the United States, announced at a press conference in Austin that he would be withdrawing from the election for the presidency of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).

«The FIA presidential elections have concluded. There will only be one candidate, the incumbent president; this is not democracy. It is merely an illusion of democracy,» Mayer stated, according to Racingnews365.

Other candidates who sought to compete for the presidency faced registration issues due to the FIA’s regulations. To qualify for the election, a candidate is required to present a «presidential list» that includes ten individuals: the President of the Senate, the Vice President for Mobility and Tourism, the Vice President for Sport, and seven Vice Presidents for Sport. These seven must be selected from FIA-approved candidates within the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) and represent various regions: North and South America, the Asia-Pacific region, Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, along with two from Europe.

As a result, out of 29 candidates, the only one with a viable chance of winning is the current president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.