FIA Presidential candidate outlines initial manifesto as Ben Sulayem challenge ramps up

FIA Presidential candidate Tim Mayer has outlined key areas of governance he believes need addressing, should he succeed in beating Mohammed Ben Sulayem to office in December.

The American motorsport official recently announced the launch of his FIA Forward campaign, going up against the incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem ahead of the FIA’s presidential elections later this year.

Tim Mayer outlines initial governance manifesto

Mayer, a former chairman of the FIA stewards as well as being directly involved in the organisation of many top-level F1 and other motorsport events, recently announced his candidacy to stand against Ben Sulayem when elections for the next presidential term are held this December.

Mayer’s governance manifesto and the reveal of his presidential ‘list’, ie. the members of his cabinet, weren’t initially revealed, with his FIA Forward website initially suggesting this information would become available on July 15th.

This later changed to an initial reveal of Mayer’s governance manifesto to go live on July 20th but, with changes being made to his website to make the publishing more accessible, the first stage of the manifesto didn’t go live until July 23rd.

In the first stage of the manifesto, Mayer has outlined the areas he believes the FIA requires overhaul of its governance and to give the governing body scope to grow, having been vocally critical of the direction Ben Sulayem has taken during his current four-year term.

In the 36-page document, Mayer outlined his intent to “elevate the FIA into the top 20 percent of global sports governance bodies” and suggested that his administration would take on the ethos of a ‘service culture’ rather than a ‘control culture’.

Mayer has outlined a number of “Day 1 commitments” he believes require immediate addressing.

Indicating a desire to “curb presidential overreach,” the actions he expressed would happen include removing the powers to dismiss elected FIA Senate members and to dissolve gag-order non-disclosure agreements.

“In no institution in the world should those elected to be the watchdogs be able to be fired by the very executive they are charged with advising and supervising,” Mayer outlined.

He also suggested a restoration of governance integrity is required by removing any control the FIA President’s office has over Ethics and Audit committees, as well as reframing the role of the President to be that of a ‘service leader’ accountable to the FIA’s member clubs.

His 100-day plan includes the proposed implementation of a non-executive presidency and installation of a professional CEO to manage operations, alongside the creation of an accountability framework between the FIA and its members clubs.

Mayer also proposed the launch of a grant support department to help drive financial support for clubs, installing a ‘truth and reconciliation’ mechanism to address past misconduct, and ensuring financial transparency through independent oversight.

Over the first year, Mayer’s manifesto outlines a desire to reduce financial reliance on select championships, and ensuring the independence of ethics and nominations committees by relocating them under FIA courts.

An area Mayer believes needs strengthening, which has met with some pushback from current female members of Ben Sulayem’s administration, is that of promoting inclusive representation, including an expansion of the Women in Motorsport Commission.

Longer-term, Mayer’s campaign has emphasised a desire to welcome critique and feedback from stakeholders, urging members clubs to help create an “ethical, inclusive, and effective” FIA via the message “It’s time to move forward”.

Mayer’s website is yet to detail any personnel, such as his candidates for the Senate Presidency or deputy presidents for Sport or Mobility on his Presidential list, a key area of clarity upon which his campaign’s strength could be decided.

Mayer’s manifestos for the two areas of Sport and Mobility are also yet to be defined, with his website stating that these details are “forthcoming.”

The vote for the next FIA president will be held at the General Assembly, set to take place in Uzbekistan on December 12.

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