Ben Sulayem competed in the Middle East Rally Championship driving for Toyota and Ford. He won his first title in 1986 in a Toyota Celica and took six consecutive titles through to 1991. In 1994 he won his seventh title with a Ford Escort RS Cosworth. From 1996 to 2002 he added seven further titles with Ford, becoming the most successful driver in the championship with over 60 wins and 14 titles — records that have since been surpassed by Nasser Al-Attiyah.
In 2005 Ben Sulayem became President of the Emirates Motorsports Organization, the FIA's UAE representative body. In 2008 he was elected FIA Vice President for Sport and joined the FIA World Motor Sport Council. He was key to organising the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009. In 2012 he was a founding member and chairman of the FIA's Arab Council of Touring and Automobile Clubs sub-region. In June 2013 he was appointed chairman of the Motor Sport Development Task Force, tasked with building a ten-year global development plan for the sport.
In December 2021 Ben Sulayem was appointed FIA President, succeeding Jean Todt.
In 2022 Ben Sulayem oversaw the investigation into the controversial ending of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, in which Race Director Michael Masi brought in the safety car on the same lap as allowing lapped cars to unlap themselves, in breach of F1 regulations. The investigation concluded there was no mechanism to change the results, though the FIA President retains the power to refer the matter to the FIA International Court of Appeal until at least March 2027. Ben Sulayem replaced Masi with Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas as race directors.
On 5 March 2024 the FIA confirmed its compliance officer received two whistleblower complaints: one alleging Ben Sulayem directed officials to declare the Las Vegas Strip Circuit unsafe and refuse circuit certification for the 2023 race; another alleging he attempted to intervene in the results of the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
In November 2024 Ben Sulayem drew criticism from the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA) after Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were punished for swearing in FIA press conferences — Verstappen receiving a community service order ahead of the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix and Leclerc a €10,000 fine. The GPDA responded with an open letter. In 2025, changes to the International Sporting Code imposing language and misconduct guidelines prompted WRC drivers to form the World Rally Drivers Alliance (WoRDA) after Adrien Fourmaux received a €10,000 fine for swearing post-interview at Rally Sweden; protesting drivers refused interviews or spoke only in their native language at Safari Rally Kenya.
Multiple senior FIA officials resigned or were dismissed after raising governance concerns. In November 2024, two audit committee members were fired after questioning Ben Sulayem's creation of a $1.5 million fund for FIA member clubs — the same clubs that vote in presidential elections. Niels Wittich stepped down as F1 race director that month, later clarifying it was not his own decision. Paolo Basarri, the head of compliance who compiled a report on alleged interference in two 2023 races, was also fired. Steward Tim Mayer and deputy Formula 2 race director Janette Tan were dismissed in the same period.
In February 2025, the Chair of Motorsport UK David Richards and FIA Deputy President for Sport Robert Reid were barred from a World Motor Sport Council meeting after refusing to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Motorsport UK threatened legal action; Reid resigned in April 2025 citing "a fundamental breakdown in governance standards." Former FIA CEO Natalie Robyn, who had been forced out in May 2024, described "serious ongoing structural challenges."
Ben Sulayem stood unopposed for re-election in December 2025, winning another four-year mandate after an FIA technicality blocked all other candidates — each was required to name a vice-presidential pick from every FIA global region, but only one accredited South American pick, Fabiana Ecclestone, existed and she supported Ben Sulayem. The process is under litigation with an initial court hearing set for 16 February 2026. Swiss driver and FIA presidential candidate Laura Villars sued over "serious democratic failings"; fellow candidate Tim Mayer also backed the lawsuit. On 18 June 2025 the head of sustainability, diversity and inclusion Sara Mariani was sacked. Ben Sulayem also removed UK FIA senate representative Ben Cussons, replacing him with Anar Alakbarov of Azerbaijan; Cussons had previously opposed the NDA requirement.
Ben Sulayem's son Saif Ben Sulayem died in a road accident in Dubai on 7 March 2023. He is an extensive car collector, owning vehicles including Koenigsegg Agera RS, Koenigsegg Regera, Koenigsegg Chimera, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Porsche, McLaren, Bugatti, Jaguar, Lexus, Ford GT, Lamborghini, and Rolls-Royce. In July 2012 he received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Ulster for services to sport, civic leadership and charity. He was named UAE Sportsman of the Century by Agence France-Presse. In January 2023, The Times resurfaced 2001 archived website comments in which he stated he did not like "women who think they are smarter than men, for they are not in truth"; the FIA stated the remarks "do not reflect the president's beliefs." In September 2024 he was appointed UN Tourism's Ambassador for Sustainable Tourism in the Sport category.
He has received Medal of Honour awards from King Hussein of Jordan (1986), President Amine Gemayel of Lebanon (1987), President Emile Lahoud of Lebanon (1999), King Abdullah II of Jordan (1999), and King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa of Bahrain (2004).
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