Ben Sulayem Seeks Unlimited Tenure; FABIANA ECCLESTONE Key To Unopposed Win

May 28, 2026

• FABIANA ECCLESTONE, wife of former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone, served as the sole available South American vice-president candidate on the World Council, creating a structural bottleneck that prevented other presidential challengers from meeting eligibility requirements.
• Her backing of Ben Sulayem and unique position as Brazil’s only World Council representative effectively blocked opposition candidates, who needed ten specific regional representatives including one from South America to qualify for the ballot.
• NATALIE ROBYN, former FIA chief executive, was among senior figures removed after raising concerns about organizational structural challenges and Ben Sulayem’s conduct during his consolidation of power since 2021.

ABB FIA Formula E, formula 1, world council