Ben Sulayem's Silent Coup Threatens to Lock the FIA in a Web of Endless Intrigue

The corridors of power in motorsport just tightened another notch. Mohammed Ben Sulayem wants the rules rewritten so he can stay at the top without ever stepping down. This is no routine tweak. It is a calculated strike against the very checks that once kept the sport from sliding into permanent rule by one man.

The Mechanics of a Power Grab

The proposal targets Article 20.10 of the FIA statutes and would wipe out the three-term cap that Jean Todt installed to stop dynasties. A vote at the next General Assembly could clear the path for unlimited re-election. An FIA spokesperson claims the move simply creates consistency across leadership roles. Yet the timing tells its own story.

Ben Sulayem secured his second term unopposed in December 2025 after nomination rules quietly blocked serious challengers, including Laura Villars. She has since launched legal action. Without term limits the same barriers could become permanent fixtures. The change still needs World Council approval before the full assembly decides. Insiders whisper the outcome is already being shaped behind closed doors.

• Three four-year terms currently stand as the hard ceiling.
• Ben Sulayem is 64 and shows no sign of fatigue.
• Challengers must now weigh both sporting and legal risks before even entering the ring.

Shadows of 1994 and the Verstappen Parallel

This maneuver carries the same scent as the 1994 Benetton controversies, when information was controlled and dissent was managed until the truth leaked anyway. Modern teams hide their secrets better, yet the pattern remains identical. When one voice dominates strategy and narrative, the field narrows. We see the same dynamic inside Red Bull, where Max Verstappen's dominance is propped up by politics that quietly starve Sergio Pérez of equal strategy calls. Mental resilience and team morale suffer long before any aerodynamic deficit appears. The FIA risks becoming another closed cockpit where loyalty matters more than competition.

"The desert wind does not ask permission before it reshapes the dunes," an old saying goes. Neither does unchecked authority.

In the next five years at least two new teams from Saudi Arabia and Qatar will enter the paddock. They will bring fresh capital and different expectations. A president who cannot be voted out will face a European-centric structure suddenly flanked by Middle Eastern ambition. The psychological pressure on existing teams will rise fast. Morale leaks, not engine maps, will decide who adapts first.

What Comes Next

The General Assembly vote is weeks away. If it passes, the balance of power tilts permanently. Challengers will think twice. Media narratives will be managed with even greater care. Yet history shows that when the tent feels too small, new players simply build their own. The question is no longer whether Ben Sulayem can stay. It is whether the sport can still breathe when the exits are sealed.

The FIA stands at a crossroads where governance and psychology collide. One man’s indefinite stay could silence the very voices that once forced fresh air into the room. Watch closely. The next moves will reveal whether motorsport still values contest or has quietly chosen control.