Mohammed Ben Sulayem will be the only candidate in the December elections for the FIA presidency, due to a bizarre interpretation of the election rules.

Three possible candidates initially expressed their interest in running - American Tim Mayer, former Swiss racing driver Laura Villars, and Belgian journalist Virginie Philpott. However, a peculiarity of the FIA election rules means that no other candidate can challenge Ben Sulayem. Candidates for the presidency must present their list of sporting vice-presidents, who must be selected from each of the six global regions of the FIA.