The FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, has denied accusations of a \u201creign of terror\u201d and suggested the governing body\u2019s member clubs are \u201csmiling\u201d about the prospect of him serving another four years.<\/p>\n
Ben Sulayem\u2019s controversial first term as head of the FIA will come to an end in December. The 63-year-old has confirmed he will stand for a second term and is poised to face off against Tim Mayer after the American announced his candidacy in the buildup to Sunday\u2019s British Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
A number of high-profile figures have left the FIA under Ben Sulayem\u2019s stewardship. His deputy, Robert Reid, the former rally co-driver, resigned from his post earlier this year. Ben Sulayem has also had multiple run-ins with Formula One and the sport\u2019s biggest stars, notably Lewis Hamilton over the wearing of jewellery<\/a> in the cockpit, and Max Verstappen on swearing<\/a>.<\/p>\n Launching his bid to run against Ben Sulayem, Mayer, who was sacked as chair of the FIA stewards in November, took aim at the Emirati\u2019s controversial leadership, describing it as \u201ca failure\u201d and an \u201cillusion of integrity\u201d. He also accused Ben Sulayem of marginalising women and rushing through statute amendments to enhance his power.<\/p>\n In response, Ben Sulayem said: \u201cI feel for people [who] say this. They are disconnected from the FIA. He [Mayer] has worked as a steward. A steward doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re an insider of the FIA. You\u2019re not staff. I have other things to do. I am really busy. I am not going to fall into this way of campaigning where I answer someone. He is free to say whatever he wants.<\/p>\n \u201cBut the FIA is bigger than me, bigger than anyone. It\u2019s not about the media. One thing is very clear. It is the members who vote. It\u2019s not anyone who is here to have a vote. It\u2019s them. If they decide they want me, or they want X, Y, Z, it\u2019s up to them. And I know that whatever I\u2019ve been doing is good for the members. I\u2019ve been very straight with them.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s wait for the general assembly and let\u2019s see if they will get me out, then. They have the power to get me out. It\u2019s about the members. And when I see them smiling. Maybe, I don\u2019t know, maybe they\u2019re smiling, truly or not, but it\u2019s their decision.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben Sulayem initially clashed with F1 and the grid\u2019s 10 teams over the introduction of an 11th outfit. However, Cadillac \u2013 a division of American motoring giant General Motors and supported by TWG Motorsport \u2013 will be on the grid next season.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend\u2019s action<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: <\/strong>Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n