Here's the thing about power in motorsport: once people get their hands on the controls, they rarely want a countdown timer ticking down their final days. According to a report by Crash.net, citing details originally laid out by BBC Sport, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is now pushing to completely scrap the age limits that restrict anyone over the age of 75 from standing as part of a presidential team.
This wild move lands just six months after the four-year term limits for leadership posts across the organisation were quietly ditched. The proposal itself is heading straight to next month's FIA General Assembly for approval, where delegates will decide whether to greenlight the change.
The justification presented in the argument to the BBC is that current age restrictions could restrict the number of qualified candidates eligible for election by the competent bodies, in particular individuals whose experience and expertise could be of benefit to the FIA. If this goes through, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who is 65, would theoretically be able to remain FIA president for life.
It is quite the evolution for a rulebook that has seen plenty of shifting lately. The FIA age limit was raised to 75 in 2024, after having previously been imposed at 70 in 2023 during Mohammed Ben Sulayem's first presidential term. Meanwhile, Mohammed Ben Sulayem was re-elected unopposed for a second four-year term in December last year.
Defending the shift, an FIA spokesperson told BBC Sport that the proposal to remove age limits for FIA officeholders brings the governing body in line with organisations such as the BBC, whose chairman is 74. The spokesperson added that an age limit excludes candidates solely on the basis of their date of birth, regardless of their experience, expertise, or ability to contribute, while noting that competent FIA bodies will ultimately retain full authority to elect the officeholders they deem appropriate.
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