David Richards could challenge Ben Sulayem as FIA president amid rising tension, controversy, and calls for leadership change in motorsport.
A new name is gaining momentum as a possible rival to the under-fire FIA president ahead of the next election. David Richards, former F1 team boss and current chairman of Motorsport UK, is rumored to be considering a bid.
Earlier this year, speculation briefly surrounded Susie Wolff as a potential candidate—especially amid growing unrest within the FIA and several high-profile departures. But her husband, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, brushed it off with a vague denial, saying, “Not that I’m aware of.”
Red Bull’s Helmut Marko shut the idea down completely, calling Susie’s candidacy “impossible” as long as her husband remains a team principal and co-owner in Formula 1.
Still, Ben Sulayem’s popularity is clearly fading. At the Bahrain Grand Prix—his first appearance at a race in 2025—he was at the center of two awkward public moments. Lewis Hamilton appeared to snub him on the grid, and Luca di Montezemolo, making his first grid visit in a decade, gave Ben Sulayem a pointed thumbs-down—caught live on camera.
So who might take him on?
Richards, who was denied access to the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council meeting in February after refusing to sign a non-disclosure agreement, has openly criticized the current leadership. He’s warned that governance at the FIA is becoming increasingly “opaque,” with too much power concentrated in the hands of the president.
Now, several insiders suggest that Richards is seriously weighing a run at the presidency later this year—leaking just enough to test the waters and gauge support.
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher commented on the tension:
“World Council meetings are always confidential, so I doubt the dispute with Richards was just about that. The FIA’s going through a lot of changes. But is this really about reform—or is Richards overplaying it?”
He added: “The election is coming up. Richards is popular, and maybe Ben Sulayem is trying to sideline him before it gets competitive.”
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David Richards eyes FIA top job as Sulayem faces backlash David Richards eyes FIA top job as Sulayem faces backlash
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