Will Mohammed Ben Sulayem become FIA President? If so, we can expect changes

Mohammed ben Sulayem is one of two candidates for the post of FIA President. The name of the new boss will be announced in December. Currently, Jean Todt is the top post, but if Ben Sulayem is successful, we can expect big changes, not only in the F1 world…

If Ben Sulayem succeeds, he would be the first non-European to head the FIA. The fifty-nine-year-old is one of the Middle East’s most prominent motorsport figures. He currently serves as president of the motorsport federation in the United Arab Emirates and has sat on the FIA’s world council since 2008.

Ben Sulayem has been considering running for president for some time, but what is his reason for doing so? First of all, he promises greater financial transparency in his campaign.

“The world of motorsport has given me a lot, I have been involved in it all my life. As a former rally driver (Middle East Rally Championship – ed.) and organiser, I believe it is time to give back to the sport. And not only to the sport, but also to the federation,” he said in an interview with Motorsport.

His opponent is Graham Stoker, who currently serves as Todt’s deputy. However, the former rally driver’s vision differs in one crucial respect – he says he would employ a CEO to run the federation.

This is apparently to make the FIA run more like a business in the future. “The day-to-day management of a large organisation should not be the function of the president. I want to be it, I want to lead people, but I want to hand over the day-to-day affairs to a CEO who can combine sport and mobility,” he explains.

“The financial side of the FIA is not good at the moment, we need to dismantle the whole situation and put the federation back where it belongs. Transparency and accountability are very important concepts,” he adds.

Ben Sulayem not only wants to bring more sponsors into Formula 1, but also, for example, into the WRC, to increase activity and reach.

“Formula 1 and WRC are in good shape, they are very healthy. But the world needs more than that. I mean we are talking about local or regional, you need local participation, you need local events and you need regional events. That only comes into play if we make Formula 1 a more affordable sport,” he concludes.

The elections will take place on 17 December in Paris. It will be a significant moment for the sport because with all the challenges facing motorsport, from environmental issues to the need for greater diversity, the next four years will be very important.

Source: Motorsport