Fiery campaign for FIA presidency ignites: 'Tyranny and no Ben Sulayem initiative'

Mayer previously heavily criticised Ben Sulayem, as he called the recent statements and goals of incumbent President an "illusion of progress".

That wasn't it from the American, however, then going on to speak to PlanetF1 and use the word 'tyranny' to describe the leadership of the current FIA President. One thing is sure: the campaign is underway, and it's shaping up to be a combative debate, where both men are going in hard.

However, Ben Sulayem himself seems to be unfazed. “Some people say that I evolved a thick skin; that the media doesn’t affect me. Someone said, ‘You have Teflon skin'," was one of the earlier responses in the campaign for another term as the FIA president.

One of the key themes is the opportunity for women in motorsport, as demonstrated by the F1 Academy. The female motorsport president, Burcu Cetinkaya, believes that everyone should be aware of the progress. "Ben Sulayem’s Presidency, with appointments and policies, 'changing the culture of the FIA from the inside out',” she states.

Men and women in motorsport are not yet on the same level, like in football, for example, but Mayer had a different opinion. He believed that Ben Sulayem didn't really have much to do with the change in the women's aspect of motorsport. Cetinkaya asked Mayer to retract his words.

However, after asking for those words to be retracted, the situation went differently. Recently, Mayer spoke out on the matter and pointed not to Ben Sulayem, but to his predecessor, Jean Todt. The former FIA President, according to Mayer, initiated the change, whereas the change is now visible under the reign of the current president.

All in all, it promises to be a fierce battle: Ben Sulayem for his second term, or Mayer for a first term? In any case, it's already clear that Carlos Sainz Sr. will not stand for presidency, which was still in question. So, it's a one-on-one fight. To win, a democratic process must be held by the higher-ups within the FIA, some 245 individuals from 149 countries. The results will follow on December 12 in Uzbekistan.