Mohammed Ben Sulayem is facing renewed scrutiny over his leadership of motorsport’s governing body after proposing to remove age restrictions on candidates for senior FIA positions, a move critics view as another attempt to consolidate his grip on power.
The proposal, due to be put before next month’s FIA General Assembly in Shanghai, would scrap rules preventing anyone over 75 from standing as part of a presidential team. It comes six months after Ben Sulayem removed term limits for leadership positions, prompting concerns that he is seeking to remain president indefinitely.
An FIA document seen by BBC Sport argues that age restrictions could exclude qualified candidates whose experience and expertise would benefit the organisation.
The current restrictions were introduced during Ben Sulayem’s first term, with the age limit initially set at 70 in 2023 before being raised to 75 the following year. The changes were presented as measures to improve governance and modernise the organisation.
However, the original limit was widely viewed as a barrier to Motorsport UK chairman David Richards challenging Ben Sulayem in last year’s presidential election. The 64-year-old Emirati was subsequently re-elected unopposed after several potential challengers, including former driver Laura Villars and ex-FIA steward Tim Mayer, were prevented from standing. Villars is now pursuing legal action in France over the electoral process.
Ben Sulayem’s presidency has been marked by repeated disputes over transparency and accountability. Former chief executive Natalie Robyn, audit committee head Bertrand Badre and compliance officials have all departed, while first vice-president for sport Robert Reid resigned in April 2025, citing a “fundamental breakdown in governance standards”.
The latest proposal also comes amid wider European efforts to strengthen accountability in sports administration.
The Shanghai meeting could bring another difficult issue onto the agenda, with Ukraine’s automobile federation seeking sanctions against its Russian counterpart over the opening of regional branches in internationally recognised Ukrainian territory.
Federation president Oleksander Feldman said the request was consistent with International Olympic Committee principles and called for Russia’s FIA membership to be suspended until the activities cease.
The FIA has yet to respond to requests for comment on the proposed rule change.
