By Alan Baldwin
SILVERSTONE, England (Reuters) -American Tim Mayer announced on Friday that he would stand against incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem in a December vote for president of the FIA, motorsport’s world governing body.
The 59-year-old, a former Formula One steward and son of former McLaren principal Teddy Mayer, left the FIA last November.
He said then that he had been fired via text message by an assistant to Ben Sulayem. The FIA dispute that he was sacked by text.
“What I see is a failure in leadership right now,” he told a press conference at a hotel near the British Grand Prix circuit Silverstone, adding that he had been working on his campaign for six months.
He described his bid as a Herculean task with the deck stacked in Ben Sulayem’s favour, given recent statute changes, and only five months to campaign and win votes from member federations.
Mayer did not say who would be on his presidential list, a requirement for standing, which he admitted still had some open positions.
He said he had good support from Motorsport UK and had informed Stefano Domenicali, chief executive of Liberty Media-owned Formula One, of his plans.
“The job now is to go out and explain to lots of small clubs around the world … why we can do a better job,” said Mayer. “Explaining how we can bring value and restructure the FIA to do a better job.
“I do feel restructuring needs to happen.”
Ben Sulayem, an Emirati, has already announced he is seeking a second term and until Friday had no declared opponent, with Spain’s double world rally champion Carlos Sainz Sr. recently deciding not to stand.
Mayer said he would have stood even if Sainz had decided to run. He also dismissed any suggestion of a conflict of interest regarding the historic family connection with McLaren.
The FIA is the governing body for F1, the world rally championship and Formula E among other series.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
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