American Tim Mayer ends uphill bid for president of FIA, says ballot rules are unfair

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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Former Formula 1 race steward Tim Mayer on Friday ended his bid for president of the sport’s governing body, citing ballot rules that he said effectively set up incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem to stand unopposed in the December election.

Mayer, an American who is the son of McLaren team co-founder Teddy Mayer, already faced being left off the FIA ballot when it is finalized next week because he had failed to gain the necessary support of vice presidential candidates from various regions in the world.

“There will be a formal vote, but it will be for only one candidate,” Mayer said at a news conference ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas. “This is no longer a democratic process when choice is replaced by control.”

FIA rules make it a daunting task to organize an opposition campaign. Mayer had to travel around the world chasing the votes of 245 member clubs in 149 countries to assemble lengthy lists of candidates for other posts.

Mayer said he logged “about 200,00O miles" and complained the rules unfavorably tilted the ballot toward Ben Sulayem. He noted the only South American on the list of eligible vice presidential candidates had already committed to the incumbent.

Other declared candidates include Swiss racing driver Laura Villars and Belgian journalist Virginia Philipott, who both said they intended to become the FIA’s first female president. But Mayer was the most visible candidate of the group of challengers, and they also face the same ballot access restrictions.

In a statement, the FIA defended its election rules and said the requirements regarding the regional vice presidents were in place for previous elections. Any candidates had adequate time to prepare, it said.

“The FIA presidential election is a structured and democratic process, to ensure fairness and integrity at every stage,” the FIA said.

Mayer had announced in July he would challenge Ben Sulayem, complaining that the incumbent had amassed too much power, clashed with star drivers and failed to deliver on promises of reform.

Mayer also promised a more democratic body and more resources to grassroots auto racing outside of wealthy nations.

Mayer has held senior roles in U.S. racing series and was a long-time F1 steward until last year. Meyer said he was asked to step down after Ben Sulayem objected to his role in an appeal filed by the Circuit of the Americas in relation to an FIA fine.

Mayer would not commit to trying to run again in the future, but said he would continue to push for changes in the FIA structure.

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