Tim Mayer has given up his bid to become president of motorsport’s governing body, the FIA.
The American athlete was forced to withdraw due to an irregularity in the FIA’s election rules, and incumbent Mohamed Ben Sulayem will run unopposed for the next term.
Mayer, who was FIA senior steward for 15 years until he was sacked last November, was one of three candidates to announce their candidacy alongside Ben Sulayem.
However, no one can run because the ruling requires that a presidential candidate submit a list of six vice-presidential candidates, one from each FIA region around the world.
The hurdle comes because Fabiana Ecclestone, the Brazilian wife of former F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone and South America’s only World Council representative, has already backed Ben Sulayem.
As a result, Mayer, along with former racing driver Laura Villars and Belgian journalist Virginie Philippot, are ineligible to stand in the December elections.
Tim Mayer denounces ‘illusions of democracy’
Mayer announces withdrawal from US GP
Meyer, who announced his resignation ahead of the US Grand Prix in Austin, claimed the FIA presidential election was “no longer a democratic process”.
“While the FIA presidential election is over, our campaign is not over and neither is our mission to protect the integrity and reputation of the FIA,” Mayer said.
“There will be no elections this time. There will be no debate between ideas, there will be no comparison of visions, there will be no examination of leadership. There is only one candidate, the incumbent, and that is not democracy. That is an illusion of democracy.”
Mr Mayer filed a complaint with the governing body over possible ethics violations in the election process.
“When elections are decided before the votes are cast, it’s not democracy, it’s theater,” he added. “And when member clubs are left with no real options, they become bystanders rather than participants.
“There is no transparency at all. This is not an overnight process. This has been happening for over 20 years. Muhammad was not the first to think of ways to restrict voting, but we are at the point where only one person can vote.”