FIA responds to "defamatory" claims from presidential candidate Mayer

The FIA has responded to a letter from presidential candidate Tim Mayer, stating that claims within it were defamatory.

Earlier this year, across the British Grand Prix weekend, Mayer was put forward as a candidate for the FIA Presidency and a challenger to current president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

This campaign then stuttered when Mayer was unable to submit a valid nomination before the election.

Mayer then sent a letter to FIA member clubs over concerns around some aspects of motorsports governing body.

Mayer's letter stated: “With increasing scrutiny from stakeholders and investors, the governance standards of the FIA now represent a material business risk to these manufacturers."

Tim Mayer during the Singapore Grand Prix - Photo: Race Pictures

Mayer's push to become president of the FIA was hindered as Fabiana Ecclestone supported Ben Sulayem.

This meant none of the other candidates could meet the nomination requirements as Ecclestone is the only person from South America on the list of eligible candidates for the World Motor Sport Council.

Mayer's letter added: “Immediate assessment and alignment with accepted corporate governance expectations are essential to protect reputational standing and compliance integrity."

The American's letter also went on to discuss findings from a report by Utrecht University: “OEMs are violating their own stated governance requirements by partnering with an organisation lacking corporate safeguards.

“Governance failures at this magnitude create risks, and the Utrecht Report (and ever growing academic interest) concludes that the FIA system is “designed for a concentration of power” that is fundamentally incompatible with modern corporate governance standards that OEMs have adopted.”

The FIA also responded to Tim Mayer 

The FIA responded to Mayer, and their general manager, Alberto Villarreal, said: “The FIA's forward letter addressed to members and the briefing it encloses makes a number of serious and false allegations regarding the FIA and its governance.

“Our legal team has formally responded directly to Tim Mayer to address the falsity of the allegations made.

"The central allegation of FIA forward letter that the FIA’s current governance structure presents a reputational compliance and financial risk to car manufacturers is unfounded, misleading, and defamatory."

Villarreal also claimed no contact was made to the FIA by the author of Utrecht University's report discussed by Mayer, Dr Arnout Geeraert.

“No attempt was made by Mr Mayer Arnout Geeraert to check the assumptions in the study or to confirm the factual assertions or to seek the FIA’s comment on the contents of the study."

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