Mayer adds to criticism of FIA amid ‘terrible erosion of governance’

FIA presidential candidate Tim Mayer has further elaborated on his criticism of the venerable institution’s governance under the stewardship of current president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

Mayer, a respected figure within motorsport governance and son of late McLaren co-founder Teddy Mayer, has worked at the highest levels of race officiating and administration.

As he introduced his campaign earlier this month at a press conference held at the British Grand Prix, the 59-year-old American accused the FIA of abandoning democratic principles, undermining internal representation, and alienating key stakeholders across Formula 1.

Mayer’s candidacy has come amid broader scrutiny of Ben Sulayem's presidency, including recent controversies over regulatory inconsistencies and strained relationships with F1’s drivers.

Unprecedented Consolidation of Power

In an outspoken interview on The Parc Fermé F1 podcast, Mayer accused the FIA leadership of shifting priorities away from effective governance and toward unchecked centralization of power.

“The focus has not been on delivery, in my opinion,” he said. “The focus has been on consolidation of power in an unprecedented way.”

Mayer pointed to a gradual but deliberate rewriting of the organization’s statutes to bolster presidential authority at the expense of democratic representation.

“The statutes of the FIA have been changed and changed and changed again,” he added. “Every time it's just been a short, incremental change towards where we are today, which is (that) we're no longer talking about democracy, even though that's the platform that he (FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem) ran on.”

According to Mayer, the very structure of representation within the FIA has been compromised.

“We're no longer talking about real representation because the people that are elected to represent can no longer even talk to their members they're supposed to represent,” he added.

“A terrible erosion of governance standards”

That erosion of internal accountability, Mayer argued, has filtered into how the FIA engages with its most vital stakeholders – drivers, teams, and event promoters.

“So this has just been a terrible erosion of governance standards in the FIA,” he continued. “I think also that the relationship that he has with, say, the drivers, is just not the way a body like the FIA should be working.

“The relationship he has with the promoters and the teams is the same. We should not be treating all of these stakeholders, these people who have invested their time, their lives in some cases, their careers as if they're naughty children,” he said.

In concluding his remarks, Mayer was unequivocal about the need for reform.

“It's just not the way to do it,” he said. “So I really have come to the conclusion that this needs to change.”

• Read also: Ben Sulayem responds to ‘reign of terror’ allegations by Mayer

Mayer’s campaign promises to restore transparency, support smaller member clubs, and foster a collaborative environment with Formula 1’s stakeholders.

While Ben Sulayem has dismissed his American rival’s accusations as disconnected, claiming support from member clubs who are “smiling” at his leadership, Mayer’s challenge has ignited a debate about the FIA’s future.

With only five months to sway the 245 global member clubs, Mayer’s “retail politics” approach will test whether his vision for reform can overcome Ben Sulayem’s entrenched position.

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