He seems to have at least some support with the voting national automobile clubs, I assume european ones. (Which is what Sainz sr didnt manage to get)

Also interesting from the article:

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 was one of a series of senior officials who have been fired by the FIA in the past 18 months

I’ll take anybody but MBS at this point.