Sacked F1 steward set launch bid to take down controversial FIA boss

FIA, Ben Sulayem, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

Sacked F1 steward set launch bid to take down controversial FIA boss

Mohammed Ben Sulayem has held the position since December 2021

Originally written by Kevin McKenna. This version is a translation.

Thursday 3 July 2025 19:00

A former F1 steward is preparing to announce a run at the presidency of the FIA this year.

Tim Mayer will be standing against the controversial Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who fired the American from his F1 role late last year after representing COTA during a hearing after a crowd invasion following the 2024 US Grand Prix.

In the aftermath, Mayer came out in criticism of his former employer, and now believes he is the man to take the sport in a new direction.

BBC Sport have reported that the American will hold a news conference announcing his candidature on Friday near Silverstone ahead of this weekend's British GP at the iconic track.

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Mayer must provide a full team of officials to fill the senior roles within the FIA before he is granted permission to stand as a candidate, and will also be subject to scrutiny by the governing body's nominations committee.

However, an insider close to Mayer told the BBC that he was confident he had the support required to launch a bid.

FIA chief Ben Sulayem under pressure

Mayer - son of former McLaren team principal Teddy Mayer - has held several senior positions within the world of motorsport, including with the American Le Mans series, while he spent 15 years as an F1 race steward before his dismissal.

He is one of many senior figures within the organisation to have been sacked over the past 18 months, including former race director Niels Wittich, who was relieved of his duties shortly before Mayer.

Ben Sulayem has come under fire from many of his former staff members in recent years, with ex-chief executive officer Natalie Robyn and deputy president for sport, Robert Reid, both questioning the culture within the FIA.

The 63-year-old has also been on the receiving end of criticism from some of the sport's top drivers, with multiple-time world champions Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton among those to voice their concerns, as well as Grand Prix Drivers' Association director, George Russell.

NASCAR Mohammed Ben Sulayem COTA Carlos Sainz Sr