FIA gets rid of term limits after majority vote

Motor racing's governing body, the FIA, has removed term limits for officials, clearing the way for sitting president Mohamed Ben Sulayem to stay on beyond the previous three-term maximum.

Ben Sulayem, 64, was re-elected unopposed in December last year for a second term which will run until the end of 2029.

Under the old rules brought in by predecessor Jean Todt, he could have run one final time again in 2029 -- but a vote of FIA member clubs at the governing body's general assembly on Thursday approved to scrap those limits by a majority.

According to BBC Sport, the majority was 91% -- the FIA has not yet confirmed the number.

Ben Sulayem ultimately ran unopposed after no challenger secured a nomination, with prospective candidates required to submit a full list of vice-presidential running mates from each of the FIA's six global regions.

Current rules state no one can run for president after turning 70, but two different high-ranking paddock sources have told ESPN there is a strong belief among F1 officials he will look to scrap that limit too.

Some other proposed changes have also been passed, including one around even stricter rules for prospective presidential candidates, who now have to "demonstrate sufficient experience within an FIA member or an FIA body."

World rally champion Carlos Sainz, father of the Williams driver of the same name, withdrew his interest last year, as did American motorsport official Tim Meyer and Laura Villars.

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Ben Sulayem has been a controversial figure as president and his tenure has been marked by the departure of a number of senior FIA officials, such as deputy president of sport Robert Reid, who said in his resignation statement that he felt "fundamental principles were being eroded" and that "raising legitimate concerns was not always welcomed" by the current president.

Ben Sulayem has had several clashes with Formula 1 drivers -- one in 2024 saw the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) urge him to treat them "like adults" after Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were punished for swearing in press conferences.

At the start of his first term, Ben Sulayem enforced rules on drivers wearing the correct underwear and forbidding the drivers from wearing jewellery.

Ben Sulayem's achievements in his first term included the arrival of Cadillac as F1's 11th team, a process he set in motion when F1's 10 existing teams and Formula 1 itself were against allowing another entry on the grid.

After a protracted saga the bid, originally entered as Andretti, was accepted with General Motors' ramping up its involvement and entering this year with the Cadillac brand and a commitment to building its own engines by the end of the current decade.

When asked for comment on the statute changes, an FIA spokesperson said: "The FIA Statutes have been updated to establish a consistent approach to term limits across all FIA bodies, in line with the World Councils and the Senate. The proposed amendments were approved by a supermajority at the Extraordinary General Assemblies. FIA bodies retain full authority to democratically elect officeholders they deem appropriate."