Mayer to announce he is running for FIA presidency

Tim Mayer is the son of McLaren co-founder Teddy Mayer

British Grand Prix

Venue: Silverstone Dates: 4-6 July Race start: 15:00 BST on Sunday

Coverage: Live commentary of practice and qualifying on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 with race on BBC Radio 5 Live; live text updates on BBC Sport website and app

Leading official Tim Mayer is to announce that he is running for the presidency of motorsport's governing body the FIA in December's election.

The 59-year-old American will stand against incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who fired Mayer as a steward in November.

Mayer is to hold a news conference announcing his candidature on Friday morning near Silverstone, which is hosting the British Grand Prix this weekend.

He was unavailable when approached for comment by BBC Sport.

An insider close to Mayer said he had the support needed to stand.

FIA presidential campaign rules require that candidates have a full team of officials to fill various roles in their prospective administration before being allowed to stand.

Mayer's right to stand will also have to be scrutinised by the FIA nominations committee, which answers to the FIA president.

Mayer is the son of former McLaren team principal Teddy Mayer, and has held leading positions in US-based Champ Car, Imsa and the American Le Mans Series, as well as stewarding across many of the FIA's championships, including Formula 1 for 15 years.

He was sacked by Ben Sulayem last year after representing the Circuit of the Americas in a "right of review" hearing into a fine levied on the track following a crowd invasion at the end of last year's US Grand Prix.

Mayer told BBC Sport last year that Ben Sulayem had felt that an element in the right of review hearing "was a personal attack on him".

Mayer was one of a series of senior officials who have been fired by the FIA in the past 18 months, and at the time he was dismissed was one of four officials sacked within a two-week period, also including the former F1 race director Niels Wittich.