On December 12, Mohammed Ben Sulayem was re-elected as FIA president for a second four-year term, securing the FIA presidency with around 92% of the votes cast. He was the only eligible candidate, while the remaining 8% of FIA member clubs chose not to participate in the voting process.
This outcome, however, was not simply the result of a lack of interest or ambition within the sport. FIA statutes require all presidential candidates to nominate vice presidents from six different global regions. In South America, only one candidate is officially approved. With that individual supporting the incumbent president, the regulation effectively closed the door on alternative FIA presidency campaigns before they could properly take shape.
Despite this, the 2025 season marked a subtle but meaningful shift in the conversation around motorsport leadership. A new figure emerged around the FIA presidency debate. Laura Villars, a 28-year-old Swiss racing driver, made history when she announced her candidacy in September 2025, becoming the first woman to put herself forward for the role.
In an exclusive interview with The Slipstream Effect, Villars shared her vision for a more inclusive, transparent and sustainable motorsport ecosystem, while also reflecting on the realities and challenges of her unprecedented campaign. Although her bid did not result in a contested election, her ideas and motivations continue to resonate well beyond the ballot.
Inside Villars’ campaign and leadership vision
We meet Villars with an open smile and a quiet confidence that immediately stands out. Despite being close in age, her sense of authority feels natural rather than forced. She explains that she and her team were preparing to formally submit her candidacy, with an official announcement planned just before the October deadline. With more than 240 clubs worldwide eligible to vote, her approach focused on direct engagement, speaking to members about sport, mobility, governance and tourism.
“It’s very, very challenging, but it’s important to understand that I’m not facing my challenge alone. I have a team. To compare, it’s like being a driver. You are not going to race alone. You have a big team around you to help.”
Her motivation is deeply rooted in personal experience. As a young driver, Villars witnessed first-hand how talent can be sidelined by financial barriers rather than lack of ability. Those observations shaped one of the core pillars of her FIA presidency vision: a global young talent academy.
The proposal would see 25 drivers selected every year based purely on performance, regardless of gender or background. The aim is to create clear, merit-based pathways towards higher categories such as Formula 3, Formula 2 and ultimately Formula 1, ensuring opportunity is driven by skill rather than circumstance.
Transparency, sustainability and representation at the core
Transparency is another key theme of Villars’ platform. She openly acknowledges that FIA governance can often feel opaque to smaller clubs and stakeholders. Her proposals include the creation of an independent audit system and a dedicated club support fund, designed to level access to resources and representation across regions.
Sustainability also plays a central role in her vision. Drawing on her own racing background, Villars speaks about educating current and future generations on environmental responsibility within motorsport. Her aim is not to dilute performance, but to embed eco-performance thinking into FIA policies and decision-making, ensuring the sport evolves responsibly.
While facing established figures within the motorsport governance landscape, Villars views her youth as a strength rather than a weakness.
“I’m coming with new energy, refreshing the mentality of the people. It’s important to engage my generation, which will shape the future.”
She is equally open about the barriers she has faced.
“It’s twice as challenging because I’m young and a woman. It’s hard to get credibility at the beginning, but I have experienced people around me supporting this vision.”
Villars consistently frames the FIA presidency as a platform for wider representation. She stresses that progress in motorsport is not only about seeing more women on track, but also in leadership, engineering and technical roles.
“It’s not only men we want to see in Formula One. Girls should have the same presence, the same impact.”
Beyond the election result
Away from policy discussions, Villars’ personality comes through in lighter moments. She prefers racing in the rain over extreme heat, chooses pasta over pizza, and names Mugello as her favourite historic circuit. Asked to pick a coach from motorsport history, she chooses Niki Lauda. Small details, but ones that humanise a candidate operating at the highest level of governance.
Regardless of the election result, Laura Villars has already left a mark. Her challenge for the FIA presidency represents resilience, ambition and a broader vision for how motorsport leadership can evolve. Through her candidacy, she has amplified conversations around inclusivity, transparency and sustainability, and pushed representation further than ever before.
As it stands, Villars has taken the FIA to court over the election process, with a first hearing scheduled for February 2026. Whatever the legal outcome, her name and ideas are now firmly embedded in discussions about the future of motorsport governance. And by her own admission, this is not the end of the road.
