Tim Meyer challenges Muhammad bin Sulaiman

      The upcoming FIA presidential election will not be without alternatives: we have reported that Tim Mayer, a former steward who was dismissed from his position by Mohammed ben Sulayem late last year, has announced his intention to run. After his dismissal, Mayer publicly criticized the federation's current president for his management methods.

      As expected, this morning in London, Mayer held a press conference confirming his intention to participate in the elections. According to PlanetF1, the American candidate is backed by Dave Richa rds, president of the British motorsport federation.

      Tim Mayer: "My career in motorsport has spanned 34 years. I have been a TV promoter, organizer, and held official positions. I started in IndyCar, moved to sports car racing, then to FIA, and since 2009 have been working within the federation.

      I am very fortunate; I made motorsport my profession, and at a certain point, I decided there was an opportunity to give back to our sport.

      Last November, my paths diverged from Mohammed ben Sulayem’s—this received widespread publicity—and it gave me the opportunity to reflect on the current state of FIA and whether it can be improved.

      I concluded that I could contribute significantly to FIA, its member clubs, both in terms of sport and motorsport. For me, this is a great opportunity to leave a lasting legacy in safety, appreciated by millions of people worldwide who travel on roads across the globe…

      I listened to the advice of many people, and already in January, we decided that I would run for federation president.

      Three years ago, Mohammed ben Sulayem had good ideas concerning transparency and reform of FIA—his intentions were correct, but their implementation failed. Instead of real reforms, there was only an illusion of progress and leadership, while most of the team members he appointed left the federation…

      We have witnessed amendments to the organization’s statutes being portrayed as modernization or democratic reform, but in reality, the largest centralization of power in FIA’s history was taking place… This cannot be called normal leadership. It must be based on values, genuine democracy, respect for the voices of all federation members, a culture of discussion, transparency, and honest assessment.

      Good leadership is not only control; it is also service. FIA must serve its members, not the other way around. In the coming months, I will introduce my team—each of them a professional in their field…

      We plan to meet with representatives of national auto clubs, listen to their ideas, and incorporate them into our agenda. This election campaign goes far beyond personal interests. It’s about principles. We will never pressure clubs to make public statements because that’s not democracy…

      If baseless accusations arise suggesting that our motivation is revenge against Mohammed, I believe these people simply underestimate the scope of the tasks and the level of difficulty of this work…”

      Tim Mayer promises to publish his detailed election program on July 15.