FIA president Ben Sulayem proposes scrapping presidency term limits
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem announced in a formal statement in Geneva that he is proposing to scrap term limits for the head of motorsport's global governing body. Current statutes restrict the president to two terms of four years. Ben Sulayem said, 'I believe this statutory limitation needs to be reviewed to preserve the organisation's strategic stability.'
The proposal will be voted on at the FIA general assembly to be held in Geneva in December 2026. FIA bylaws require a two-thirds majority of the 245 member nations to approve a structural change. Ben Sulayem has been FIA president since 2021 and is currently in his second and, under existing rules, final term.
The CEO of Formula 1's largest team McLaren, Zak Brown, told the BBC, 'Ben Sulayem's proposal to change the term limits is a decision that will affect the governance structure of Formula 1 in the long term.' Mercedes-AMG Petronas team principal Toto Wolff declined to comment.
Among F1 drivers, Lewis Hamilton said at a Geneva press event, 'Transparency in the governing body is important; every statutory change must be carefully considered by the member states.' Hamilton had previously voiced reservations about FIA penalties imposed on drivers in the past five years.
Some decisions made by Ben Sulayem during 2021-2025 have been openly criticised by certain drivers and teams. The 2024 FIA 'swearing and bad language' fine framework was one such criticism. Former Renault driver Esteban Ocon has publicly criticised the FIA's penalty structure but has not directly commented on Ben Sulayem's term-limit proposal.
The FIA is composed of 245 member automobile national organisations and has an annual budget of roughly 280 million euros. In addition to Formula 1, it governs global racing series such as the Dakar Rally, Le Mans 24 Hours and Formula E. If Ben Sulayem's term-limit proposal passes, the president's tenure would become unlimited, although a mandatory election every four years would remain.
FIA statutory committee spokesperson Carmen Jordá told the BBC, 'The matter of reviewing the bylaws will be addressed as an agenda item at the December general assembly. Alongside Ben Sulayem's individual proposal, other member nations may also have different proposals.' Jordá added that the FIA would begin a bylaw review process by mid-2026.
Compared to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) statute, the FIA's current limit structure is more restrictive. The IOC president can serve a maximum of 12 years, while the FIA president is capped at eight. This is seen as part of the FIA's design to provide resilience against political instability within the organisation.
Mercedes-AMG and Ferrari sponsor AT&T leaked to the BBC a letter criticising FIA governance decisions during the 2025 season. The letter said that some FIA bylaw changes had created uncertainty in the global sponsorship market. AT&T declined to comment on the term-limit proposal.
The FIA's official calendar places the general assembly on 12-14 December 2026. Member nations will have a four-week discussion window ahead of the vote on the bylaw change proposal. This article is a motorsport governance news report and should not be read as political or investment advice concerning the FIA presidential election or bylaw change.