Ben Sulayem advocates for the elimination of presidential term limits in the FIA.
"A proposal has been made"
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is supporting a proposal aimed at removing term limits for the governing body's top officials, which could enable FIA presidents to serve beyond the existing maximum of 12 years. This proposal is set to be discussed and voted on at the forthcoming FIA General Assembly next month.
The initiative is already facing scrutiny as it arises amid ongoing discussions about FIA governance under the controversial Ben Sulayem administration, just months after his unopposed re-election. Critics at that time claimed that the FIA election rules effectively barred meaningful challengers from entering the race. Current regulations, established during Jean Todt's presidency, allow FIA presidents to serve four-year terms with the possibility of re-election twice, totaling a maximum of 12 years.
Ben Sulayem, who was first elected in 2021 and re-elected unopposed in late 2025, stands to benefit if this change is enacted. In response to reports regarding the proposal, an FIA spokesperson emphasized that this initiative is not merely intended as a presidential measure.
"A proposal has been put forward to create a uniform approach to term lengths across all FIA bodies, similar to what is currently applied to the World Councils and the Senate," the spokesperson stated. "This proposal must receive approval from the World Councils and the General Assembly. The FIA bodies maintain full authority to democratically elect their directors."
The proposal would also influence several other FIA roles currently bound by term limits, not just the presidency. Former FIA steward Tim Mayer, who has criticized the present leadership and previously argued that FIA election processes hindered opposition to Ben Sulayem, remarked to the BBC that term limits serve as a crucial safeguard against the excessive concentration of power.
The FIA General Assembly is slated to vote on the proposal in June.
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