Mayer to announce he is running for FIA presidency

British Grand Prix

Dates: 4 to 6 July Race start time: 15:00 BST on Sunday

Leading official Tim Mayer has announced that he is running for president of the FIA in the December election.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who fired Mayer as steward in November, will challenge the 59-year-old American.

On Friday morning, Mayer will hold a press conference to announce his candidacy near Silverstone, the site of this weekend’s British Grand Prix.

When BBC Sport inquired about him, he was unavailable.

Before being allowed to stand, candidates must have a full team of officials in order to fill various positions in their prospective administration, according to FIA presidential campaign rules.

The FIA nominations committee, which is in charge of the FIA president, will also be looking into Mayer’s standing.

Mayer, who is the son of Teddy Mayer, who was the former McLaren team principal, has held leading positions in the US and has steered the FIA’s championships, including Formula 1, for 15 years.

After representing the Circuit of the Americas at a “right of review” hearing on a fine levied on the track following a crowd invasion at the US Grand Prix in the end of last year, he was fired by Ben Sulayem last year.

Ben Sulayem claimed in a statement to BBC Sport last year that the right-of-review hearing had been an “interpersonal attack on him” by Mayer.