Presidential candidate Laura Villars takes court action against FIA

FIA presidential candidate Laura Villars has announced that she has been authorised to summon the FIA before an emergency hearing by the Judicial Court of Paris.

It marks an escalation in the FIA presidential race that looked set to see Mohammed Ben Sulayem win a second term unopposed.

Presidential candidate Laura Villars to take court action against FIA

Villars was one of three challengers to Ben Sulayem to publicly announce their candidacy, alongside Tim Mayer and Virginie Philippot.

As part of the election process, candidates must nominate seven vice presidents as part of their Presidential List, with representation required from each FIA region.

However, nominations for the World Motorsport Council, the pool from which candidates can draw their vice presidents List, saw just a single representative from South America, Fabiana Ecclestone.

Ecclestone has publicly lent her support to Ben Sulayem’s re-election efforts.

Without another representative, no other candidate could submit a complete List for the October 24 deadline. While that has now passed, Villars refuses to let the matter rest and has instigated court action.

According to the statement from Villars, the action comes off the back of several months of unsuccessful exchanges with the FIA.

The hearing between Villars and the FIA is scheduled for November 10, an expedited process that recognises ‘both the urgency and admissibility of the case’, and ‘marks an important first step in a broader effort to safeguard transparency, ethics, and democratic pluralism within the FIA, as the presidential nomination process draws to a close.’

“I have twice tried to open a constructive dialogue with the FIA on essential matters such as internal democracy and the transparency of electoral rules,” Villars said in a statement issued to PlanetF1.com.

“The responses received were not up to the challenge. I am not acting against the FIA. I am acting to protect it. Democracy is not a threat to the FIA; it is its strength.”

Robin Binsard, attorney at the Paris Bar, added: “We have obtained authorisation for an hour-to-hour emergency summons, which demonstrates that the Court is taking seriously the serious democratic failings within the FIA, as well as several violations of its Statutes and Regulations that we have denounced”

More on the FIA presidential election

👉 Mohammed Ben Sulayem set to win FIA Presidency unopposed as elections weakness revealed

👉 FIA hit with ‘no democracy, just theatre’ claims as Tim Mayer declares election process over

Earlier this month, fellow candidate Tim Mayer was critical of the governing body’s election process, describing it as not democracy, “just theatre”.

PlanetF1.com understands Mayer is collaborating with Villars in her challenge, while pursuing his own channels through the FIA’s internal procedures. If and when those channels are exhausted, it’s believed the American’s campaign will join Villars’ in her legal pursuit.

Speaking ahead of the United States Grand Prix weekend, Mayer acknowledged that he was unable to complete a full Presidential List and therefore his nomination would likely be rejected. However, he added that he was not giving up the fight.

“Today, I will say something that may sound contradictory: the election for the President of the FIA is over,” he said.

“But our campaign is not, and neither is our mission to protect the integrity and reputation of the FIA.

“So how can an election be over when the ballot is more than two months away? This time, there will be no election, there will be no debate between ideas, no comparison of vision, no examination of leadership.

“There’ll only be one candidate, the incumbent, and that’s not democracy. That’s the illusion of democracy.

“Throughout our FIA Forward campaign, we’ve spoken of fairness, reform, and integrity, of returning the FIA to its members, but today, the outcome of this election and the flawed process that governs it proves how far we’ve drifted from that ideal under the FIA statutes.

“No Presidential List can exist unless it includes one vice-president for sport from every global region, and those vice-presidents must be drawn from the list of those who have nominated themselves for the World Motor Sport Council and have an international event on the FIA calendar.

“That sounds inclusive, until you realise what happens when there are no independent candidates to choose from, no credible alternative options. In South America, only one person stood for the WMSC. In Africa, only two.

“All three are directly associated with the incumbent. The result is simple: no one but the incumbent can run under the FIA system.”

That prompted a response from the FIA, reaffirming the election process and noting that it remains unchanged – a position it reaffirmed when contacted with regards to Villars’ challenge.

“The FIA Presidential election is a structured and democratic process, to ensure fairness and integrity at every stage,” a statement issued to PlanetF1.com read.

“The requirements for the 2025 FIA elections, including the relevant deadlines and eligibility criteria for the Presidential List and World Councils, are defined in the FIA Statutes and Internal Regulations, which are publicly available on the FIA’s website.

“Detailed information regarding these elections has also been made available on a dedicated page on the FIA’s website since 13 June 2025 and communicated to all FIA Members.

“The requirements related to the regional representation of the Vice-Presidents for Sport, and to select them from the World Motor Sport Council in order to draw up a Presidential List, are not new. These criteria applied to previous elections.

“As to be expected, preparing a candidature for a Presidential List or the World Councils requires certain steps to be taken. Prospective candidates have had since the publication of the detailed information on 13 June to prepare their applications.”

The governing body did however acknowledge the Villars challenge when PlanetF1.com contacted it, stating: “Due to the nature of the process, the FIA is unable to comment on this legal action and will not be able to provide further comment on this matter.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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