The only candidate to take over the stewardship of motorsport has called for a change of culture after several high-profile clashes between Formula One drivers and incumbent boss Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
Tim Mayer, who is running for president of the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) governing body, told AFP he wants to usher in a new era of partnership between officials, drivers and teams.
“It’s not about power, it’s not about controversy, it’s not about ‘how do we control things?’. It’s about ‘how do we serve?’,” Mayer told AFP in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the Dutch Grand Prix.
Under Emirati Ben Sulayem, the FIA has frequently been involved in public spats, notably over whether drivers could swear over team radio, or a high-profile 2022 argument about clothing.
Ben Sulayem wanted to strictly enforce regulations about fire-retardant underwear and make drivers remove jewellery, setting him on a collision course with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
The “underwear saga” sparked criticism that Ben Sulayem was power-crazed and intervening on matters of minimal importance when there were more pressing issues facing the sport.
“The fans really don’t want to hear about driver underwear,” said Mayer, who is seeking election in December.
“There’s a very simple way of dealing with that. You go to the drivers and you say: ‘Hey guys, it’s for your own safety, so please make sure you’re wearing the right stuff’.
“And you do that quietly in the drivers’ meeting.”
The 59-year-old Mayer, born in the United States and educated in Britain, has motorsport in his blood.
Son of Teddy Mayer, once head of the McLaren racing team currently dominating Formula One, he has been involved in the administration of motorsport for 35 years.
He vowed to work more behind the scenes than Ben Sulayem if elected.
“The drivers are our stars, not the head of the FIA. Nobody ever bought a ticket to watch officials work,” he joked.
What Formula One drivers do is “nothing short of miraculous”, he said, adding: “They don’t need to be treated like children, they need to be treated like partners.”
Mayer and Ben Sulayem had a very public falling-out when the FIA fired the American in November from his role as a steward. Mayer said the dismissal came via a text message.
He has accused Ben Sulayem of running the FIA as a “reign of terror” but insisted his campaign was not driven by personal animosity.
“I was angry for about two weeks,” he admitted. But then he reflected on what drove him to be a motorsport administrator.
“For me, it was the opportunity to give back and really grow the organisation that I’ve come to love over so many years,” he said.
However, he took a swipe at Ben Sulayem’s leadership style, noting an “unbelievable” high turnover of staff.
“They’ve hired some really good people and then they’re gone.”
Mayer wants to put grassroots motorsport and a drive for greater diversity at the heart of his campaign.
Just back from an eight-country tour of Africa, he is open to the idea of hosting a Grand Prix on that continent.
“It’s not going to happen in the next 24 months. But ultimately, it’s 1.4 billion people who are essentially disenfranchised from open-wheel racing.”
Mayer said he draws inspiration from sports like rugby and football, which have sought to shed their male-dominated image with high-profile women’s competitions.
“We’ve completely disenfranchised women and minorities from entering into motorsport,” said Mayer, pledging to promote women in the sport “not just symbolically”.
“We have to get more women involved in engineering… it’s not just the symbology of getting a (woman) driver, it’s about changing the entire structure of how we think about the sport.”
He said he was confident of ousting Ben Sulayem in December’s election but said the voting system was “completely stacked in favour of the incumbent”.
Mayer is currently criss-crossing the world drumming up support from member clubs but also listening to their concerns.
“We need to put our ears on and close our mouth a little bit more… the next decade of the FIA should be a celebration of motorsport mobility.”
