Motorsports
Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s Second Term Secured
Mohammed Ben Sulayem has secured another term as president of the International Automobile Federation after being re-elected unopposed in a vote that remains under legal scrutiny.
The 64-year-old Emirati was the only candidate in the election held on Friday in Tashkent. His re-election came despite objections raised in court over the FIA’s electoral rules, which blocked two potential challengers from entering the race.
Swiss driver Laura Villars and former FIA steward Tim Mayer were both barred from running due to regulations that require candidates to nominate vice-presidents from all six FIA regions. These vice-presidents must come from a pre-approved list set by the Paris-based federation.
In South America, only one vice-presidential candidate was listed. That was Brazilian Fabiana Ecclestone, wife of former Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone. She publicly supported Ben Sulayem, which effectively prevented any alternative ticket from being formed.
Villars challenged the process in a Paris court last week. The court declined to suspend the election but ordered a full trial to examine the rules and procedures used by the FIA. Villars’ lawyer, Robin Binsard, said the case will move forward, with a first hearing scheduled for February 16, 2026.
He added that the election result could still be reviewed or annulled depending on the court’s findings. Ben Sulayem’s confirmation as president therefore remains subject to the outcome of the case.
Ben Sulayem, who first took office in 2021 after succeeding Jean Todt, thanked FIA members for their support following the vote.
“We have overcome many obstacles but today we are stronger than ever,” he said in a statement released by the FIA.
The federation defended the process, saying the election followed its statutes and reflected the collective voice of its global membership. The FIA oversees Formula One, the World Rally Championship, and other international motorsport series. It also promotes road safety through more than 240 member clubs across 146 countries.
Ben Sulayem’s presidency has been marked by controversy. Drivers criticized the FIA earlier this year over stricter penalties for swearing on team radios. The rules sparked backlash across the grid before fines were later reduced.
Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton also questioned Ben Sulayem’s leadership after comments seen as using stereotypes when discussing driver behavior.
In April, FIA deputy president Robert Reid resigned, raising concerns over governance and transparency in his exit statement.
Despite the criticism, Ben Sulayem has repeatedly defended his record. He pointed to the federation’s financial turnaround, which saw a deficit of 24 million euros in 2021 turned into a reported profit of 4.7 million euros last year.
Looking ahead to his second term, Ben Sulayem said he stood by the decisions made during his first four years.
“Cleaning the house was not easy,” he said. “But it was worth it. If I could go back and change anything, I would not change a thing.”
Toyota Motor Philippines will hold Race Weekend 3 of the 2026 Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippine Cup at Batangas Racing Circuit in Rosario, Batangas, on August 15.
The event will be the championship’s first visit to the country’s oldest permanent car racetrack. Admission is free, while the races will also be shown live on the Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippines Facebook page.
Drivers will compete across the Super Sporting, Sporting and Legacy classes using Vios one-make race cars. The Tamaraw class will return with the Tamaraw one-make race car introduced this season.
Batangas Racing Circuit’s technical layout will give competitors a different challenge as they adjust to a new venue.
TMP Senior Vice President for Marketing Sherwin Chua-Lim said the circuit will test the drivers while introducing the racing series to more car enthusiasts.
“Our aim at Toyota Gazoo Racing has always been to provide opportunities for racers to test their limits for better and to bring racing closer to different car communities,” Chua-Lim said.
The race cars will continue using low-carbon fuel blends introduced during the previous round. The Vios race cars will run on E20, which contains 20 percent bioethanol, while the Tamaraw entries will use B5 fuel with a five percent coco-biodiesel blend.
TMP said the program supports the study of lower-carbon fuels and their possible wider use. It also seeks to contribute to energy security and the development of local biofuel supply chains.
TMP First Vice President for Corporate Affairs Josephine Villanueva said racers gave positive feedback on the performance of the blended fuels under demanding track conditions. Toyota will continue studying their feasibility for future motorsports events.
The race weekend is supported by partners including GT Radial, Petron, Denso and the Toyota Gazoo Racing Academy.
Nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia were taken to hospital after a high-speed crash while leading the Rally of Finland on Saturday.
Ogier was traveling at around 130 kph when he lost control of his Toyota on a series of turns along a forest dirt road. The car rolled several times before hitting a tree.
Both men managed to get out of the vehicle without assistance before they were transported to a hospital in Tampere for precautionary examinations, according to the World Rally Championship.
Toyota assistant team principal Juha Kankkunen said he had spoken with the crew following the accident.
“Seb was more shocked than anything else, nothing broken,” Kankkunen told Rally TV.
Ogier held a 20-second advantage when the crash ended his rally.
The accident handed the lead to Toyota teammate Sami Pajari, who entered the final day 46 seconds ahead of Oliver Solberg. World championship leader Elfyn Evans was running third.
“There are still two long stages to do and anything can still happen,” Pajari said.
McLaren’s first victory of the 2026 Formula One season showed that the championship fight is far from settled.
Lando Norris recovered from a poor opening lap to win the Hungarian Grand Prix ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes championship leader Kimi Antonelli. The result also exposed costly mistakes at Ferrari and raised questions about whether Mercedes can maintain its early advantage after the summer break.
Here are three key takeaways from the Hungaroring.
Ferrari squanders a major opportunity
Ferrari appeared to have the fastest car on Friday, but Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton could only finish fourth and fifth.
Leclerc lost ground with a poor start from second on the grid. Hamilton received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, adding to an earlier sanction for impeding Oscar Piastri during qualifying.
Ferrari’s choice of soft tires, pit-stop timing and a late stop during a virtual safety car period also hurt Hamilton’s race. Verstappen gained another place when Red Bull successfully used an undercut.
“It’s not a good Sunday when you were 1-2 on Friday,” Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said. “We made too many mistakes.”
Hamilton has now collected four penalties in three races. His latest sanction handed third place to Antonelli and left the seven-time champion 50 points behind the Italian after 11 of 23 rounds.
“You can’t make these kinds of mistakes if you want to challenge for a title,” Hamilton said.
Ferrari also trails Mercedes by 72 points in the constructors’ standings, making its missed opportunity in Hungary even more costly.
Norris proves the fight is not over
Norris delivered a controlled recovery after losing positions at the start. His pace and tire management helped him finish 15 seconds ahead of Verstappen for his first win of the year.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella believes Norris has become a more complete driver since winning last season’s championship.
“Lando is much more confident,” Stella said. “He’s much more aware of the tools that he has in his driving and how to deploy these tools.”
The victory reduced Norris’ deficit to Antonelli to 91 points. That remains a considerable gap, but McLaren’s upgraded car could give the defending champion more chances during the second half of the season.
Hungary also suggested that Mercedes no longer enjoys the clear performance edge it held earlier in the year. McLaren has introduced the first of two major upgrade packages, while Red Bull remains close enough to take advantage when its rivals struggle.
Mercedes needs an answer
Antonelli extended his championship lead with third place, but the Italian admitted that Mercedes could not match Norris on outright pace.
“Lando had the upper hand this weekend, even on us,” Antonelli said. “On pure pace, I couldn’t challenge him.”
Mercedes endured a difficult weekend by its standards. George Russell suffered another technical problem, while team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged that rival teams had narrowed the gap.
Antonelli now wants upgrades that can help Mercedes defend its advantage. Last season offers a warning, as Piastri once held a 34-point lead but failed to win the championship.
The summer break will give each team time to assess its next move. When racing resumes, development may prove as important as driving.
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