Laura Villars unveils FIA presidential plan: ‘Zero Death by 2035’, carbon neutrality and more

FIA presidential candidate Laura Villars has provided member clubs with details of her platform should she be elected to the office in December.

Villars announced her candidacy last week as she became the third candidate for the job alongside incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem and veteran motorsport administrator Tim Mayer.

Zero Death by 2035: Laura Villars bold safety initiative in FIA presidential platform

A one-page document provided to FIA member clubs outlines five commitments Villars is prepared to make as part of her candidacy.

That include independent and transparent governance, support for all clubs, accessible and inclusive motorsport, concrete impact in mobility and tourism, and a lasting legacy.

Among those, she has set some lofty goals, including “Zero Death by 2035” as part of her mobility and tourism efforts.

“I will commit to ‘Zero Death by 2035’, launch Smart Mobility Grands (100 projects in three years), transform the MoU into a FIA-UNWTO Action Plan financing tourism initiatives, and deploy a universal digital card for mobility services,” her commitment outlines.

She also professes she’ll “make the FIA carbon-neutral by 2030,” a goal that the world governing body committed itself to in 2021 in an effort that was headed by Sara Mariana, until a restructure earlier this year.

In departing the FIA, Mariana fired a parting shot, with her Out of Office email response stating: “There is a life outside the FIA. A life where talent and dedication are rewarded. Where women in leadership positions can thrive, feel valued and respected.”

In announcing her candidacy for the FIA presidency last week, Villars became the first female in the organisation’s history to nominate for the role.

Speaking with PlanetF1.com, she suggested that was a key element in her decision, noting some of the walls that have been broken down in recent years by the likes of Susie Wolff.

In her correspondance to the FIA member clubs, Villars vows to continue efforts to increase female participation in motorsport, noting the existing programmes and their limitations. “I will create a Women in Motorsport Fund with 20 annual scholarships, launch a Young Leaders Academy training 25 talents per year worldwide, and introduce transparent co-financing mechanisms to cut grassroots entry costs by at least 20 per cent in three years,” she stated.

Villars is also looking to build on the existing governance practices, which she described as “technical, opaque, and dependent on the executive.”

Her plan is to establish an Audit Committee that is elected by the General Assembly, and grant the senate an autonomous budget, among other measures aimed at increasing the transparency of the organisation.

“The FIA is our common home. I have belonged to it all my life, both as a racing driver and as a member of mobility clubs,” Villars announced in a media statement that coincided with her approach to the clubs.

“Today, I want to put this experience at the service of a collective project, built with and for the clubs.”

She added, in her ‘Profession of Faith’, the document she circulated to FIA member clubs: “The FIA is unique: it brings together motorsport, mobility, and tourism under one roof. Over the years, valuable initiatives have been launched – from Women in Motorsport to international road safety campaigns and even partnerships in sustainable tourism.

“I fully recognise these efforts. But too often, they remain symbolic, limited in scope, or accessible only to a few. My candidacy is not about ignoring the past, but about taking the next step: consolidating what already exists, amplifying what is still symbolic, and creating what is missing.

“At 28, as a racing driver and entrepreneur, I represent a new generation. My goal is to restore trust, strengthen transparency, and ensure the FIA truly serves all its members – ASNs, mobility clubs, and mixed organisations alike.”

More on the FIA Presidential race

👉 FIA presidential candidate outlines three core principles behind Ben Sulayem challenge

👉 Mohammed Ben Sulayem confirms run for re-election as FIA President

While Villars has publicly announced her candidacy, she now has until October 24 to submit her List – effectively a cabinet of supporters who will fill an array of key roles should she be elected.

That requires representation from across the FIA member clubs, with one from each region and two from Europe.

It’s a point Villars makes, outlining in her note to clubs that “the validation of her candidacy requires 18 official (6 Sporting Clubs / 6 Mobility Clubs / 6 Mixed Clubs) endorsements out of the FIA’s 245 member clubs.”

She added: “The choice now belongs to the clubs. They have the power to ensure real democratic competition and open the FIA to the future.”

Villars’ full presidential programme will be presented in the coming weeks.

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