SINGAPORE – The glitz and glamour and the sheer commercial might of Formula One may be commonly viewed as the pinnacle of motor sport, but International Automobile Federation (FIA) presidential hopeful Tim Mayer rejects the idea of a pyramid where member associations rely heavily on benefits from F1 flowing to the bottom.

If he manages to oust Emirati incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem in the Dec 12 election, the 59-year-old American said that he wants to build a “solid foundation” that can house and support global motor sport aspirations while promoting safe, sustainable and accessible mobility for road users.

“The only people that live in pyramids are dead pharaohs,” he told The Straits Times in an interview at the JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach on Oct 3, on the sidelines of the Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix.

“The FIA needs to provide a foundation, and then each of the member clubs need to be able to build their house on top of that solid foundation. If we can do that, we’re going to be successful.

“If we’re thinking always about this pyramid structure, that the FIA can trickle down the benefits of motor sport, we’ll never really nourish the bottom.

“Our job is to build that foundation, and then in that house, you decorate it however you want. For some countries, it’s going to be more rally-based, or more circuit-based, or more about karting. We need to focus on building that foundation so that you can do whatever you need to do with it.”

Mayer made the distinction between F1, an aspirational brand that is thriving, and “grassroots” motor sport which needs to be developed for the long term.

To make it more accessible in Africa and territories that are not so inclined to take up motor sport, he gave the example of how the cost of building cross cars can be reduced from €50,000 (S$76,000) to €5,000 by substituting materials that are available only in Europe with cheaper alternatives from Asia.

He said: “If you build your busine...