FIA president to seek removal of age limits for office holders at General Assembly
Mohammed Ben Sulayem is planning to end age limits for office holders in motorsport's governing body at next month's FIA General Assembly in Shanghai. Ben Sulayem was elected FIA president in December 2021.
The proposal follows a decision six months ago by Ben Sulayem to remove term limits for leadership posts across the FIA and comes amid existing statutes that prevent anyone over 75 from standing as part of a presidential team. An age limit of 70 was imposed in 2023, during Ben Sulayem's first presidential term, a move then described by him as designed to "enhance governance and accountability within the organisation"; the FIA said at the time that the limit "reflected the FIA's commitment to maintaining high standards in its leadership and governance structures". Ben Sulayem is 64.
The paper to be presented to the General Assembly, which has been seen by BBC Sport, argues that "age limits could restrict the number of qualified candidates eligible for election by the competent bodies, in particular individuals whose experience and expertise could be of benefit to the FIA". Critics say the proposal is the latest step by Ben Sulayem as he seeks to ensure he can remain FIA president for life. The FIA has been contacted for comment on the change of stance but has not provided a response.
Ben Sulayem's presidency has been accompanied by disputes over governance and transparency, including the earlier removal of term limits and the introduction of statutes described in the source as reducing accountability and concentrating power. The organisation has dismissed a series of senior officers who questioned aspects of his leadership, among them the former chief executive officer Natalie Robyn, the head of the audit committee Bertrand Badre, and the compliance officer who investigated and cleared Ben Sulayem on charges of interfering with two separate aspects of F1 operations. His first vice-president for sport, Robert Reid, resigned in April 2025 citing "a fundamental breakdown in governance standards within" the FIA.
Ben Sulayem was re-elected unopposed last December after a quirk in the FIA statutes prevented any other candidate from standing; three people who wanted to oppose him, including former racing driver Laura Villars and ex-FIA steward Tim Mayer, were blocked from doing so. Villars is currently engaged in a legal action against Ben Sulayem and the FIA in France challenging its electoral process.
At the same General Assembly in Shanghai, the Ukraine Automobile Federation (FAU) has requested the inclusion of an agenda item alleging violations of the FIA statutes and international sporting code by the Russian Automobile Federation (RAF). The FAU says the RAF has opened regional branches in four cities recognised as sovereign areas of Ukraine by the United Nations, has asked the FIA's court of appeal to investigate and received no response, and is requesting that the RAF's membership be suspended until it closes all its offices in Ukraine and suspends all activity there; FAU president Oleksander Feldman said: "Our proposal is fully consistent with the position of the International Olympic Committee regarding the conditions for the participation of Russian athletes in competitions. "Indeed, such participation became possible specifically on the basis of guarantees provided by the Russian Olympic Committee that it would not conduct activities on the sovereign territory of Ukraine."
Both the proposal to scrap age limits and the FAU's request regarding the RAF are due to be considered at the FIA General Assembly in Shanghai next month.