Racing driver Laura Villars says she’s challenging FIA election rules in court

PARIS AP Swiss-Italian driver Laura Villars says she is challenging the FIA s voting process rules in a Paris court affair that could delay the auto racing governing body s upcoming ballot Villars is fighting electoral rules which made it harder for her and other would-be candidates to challenge incumbent FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem Villars disclosed the Judicial Court of Paris had ordered a hearing for Nov with the FIA She declared she is seeking to have December s electoral process delayed until the court can rule on whether FIA referendum rules conform with the organization s own statutes In comments to The Associated Press Villars revealed she was aiming to ensure the FIA lived up to a pledge to respect the highest standards of governance transparency and democracy in its statutes My goal is to ensure that these principles are genuinely upheld Villars reported by e-mail Wednesday This is not an act of opposition but one of protection Villars campaign also explained she would attend a conciliation meeting arranged by the court The FIA stated in a declaration Due to the nature of the process the FIA is unable to comment on this legal action and will not be able to provide further comment on this matter A focus of complaints from Ben Sulayem s opponents is that FIA presidential candidates must submit a list of vice-presidential candidates from around the world That must include a candidate from South America but the only South American on a list of eligible candidates is Brazil s Fabiana Ecclestone a Ben Sulayem supporter Each vice-presidential candidate can only be part of one presidential campaign The legal action also has the backing of FIA Forward a group critical of Ben Sulayem which was set up to campaign for another opposition candidate Tim Mayer who dropped out last month citing restrictive voting process rules which he commented made it no longer a democratic process AP auto racing https apnews com hub auto-racing Source