Belgian journalist and former supermodel Virginie Philippot is set to submit her candidacy for the presidency of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). The 33-year-old journalist announced her intention to run for office on her social media accounts.
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Why did she decide to become FIA president?
In early October, Virginie Philippot published a long post explaining her decision:
I am running for FIA President. Not to be the first, but to make sure I am not the last. I believe motorsport should reflect the real world – bold, diverse, and united. As a woman with a global vision and deep roots, I am here to open doors that have remained closed for far too long.
Virginie aims to create an FIA that is truly inclusive, where every voice and every story can be heard:
The race for the future starts now.
How did a model become a journalist?
In the past, Virginie worked as a model and participated in the Miss Belgium beauty pageant in 2012 and Miss International in 2017. After finishing her modeling career, she decided to try her hand at sports journalism. She was invited to join Red Bull as a host.
Since then, Virginie has immersed herself completely in the world of motorsport. She has interviewed drivers and hosted on-site studios with special guests.
A large portion of her social media content is dedicated to her travels to racing circuits in various series, including Formula 1 and WEC (World Endurance Championship). She has also appeared on the French reality show Secret Story and the Belgian version of the popular show The Traitors.
Who is Virginie Philippot competing against?
For the FIA presidency, Virginie will be competing against former Formula 1 steward Tim Mayer, current president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, and Swiss racing driver Laura Villars.
The election is expected to take place at the end of this year. Despite the growing competition, many experts believe that the current head of the organization will retain his position.
Virginie’s rival, Laura Villars, has said that she has a clear vision for the sport’s governing body and boasted of a large team that will support her candidacy.
Another contender is former FIA steward Tim Mayer from the United States. He has described the current leadership under the sitting FIA president as a “tyranny” and has promised to fix it if elected to lead the federation.
Motorsport is a fast, bold, and incredibly spectacular discipline. It would be amazing if the FIA were led by a young and beautiful woman who could bring something completely new to the sport — and we would be delighted to watch that happen!
