Racing driver Laura Villars says she's challenging FIA election rules in court

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Swiss-Italian driver Laura Villars says she is challenging the FIA's election rules in a Paris court case that could delay the auto racing governing body's upcoming election.

Villars is fighting electoral rules which made it harder for her and other would-be candidates to challenge incumbent FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

Villars said the Judicial Court of Paris had ordered a hearing for Nov. 10 with the FIA. She said she is seeking to have December's election delayed until the court can rule on whether FIA election rules conform with the organization's own statutes.

In comments to The Associated Press, Villars said she was aiming to ensure the FIA lived up to a pledge to “respect the highest standards of governance, transparency, and democracy” in its statutes.

“My goal is to ensure that these principles are genuinely upheld," Villars said by e-mail Wednesday. "This is not an act of opposition, but one of protection."

Villars' campaign also said she would attend a “conciliation meeting” arranged by the court.

The FIA said in a statement: “Due to the nature of the process, the FIA is unable to comment on this legal action and will not be able to provide further comment on this matter.”

A focus of complaints from Ben Sulayem's opponents is that FIA presidential candidates must submit a list of vice-presidential candidates from around the world.

That must include a candidate from South America, but the only South American on a list of 29 eligible candidates is Brazil's Fabiana Ecclestone, a Ben Sulayem supporter. Each vice-presidential candidate can only be part of one presidential campaign.

The legal action also has the backing of FIA Forward, a group critical of Ben Sulayem which was set up to campaign for another opposition candidate, Tim Mayer, who dropped out last month citing restrictive election rules which, he said, made it “no longer a democratic process.”

Villars has been running to become the FIA's first female president and most recently raced in the Ligier European Series, a sportscar competition, this year.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing