Carlos Sainz Sr. has introduced he’s contemplating a run for the presidency of the FIA at this yr’s elections.
The 2-time world rally champion has continued to compete within the Dakar Rally and have become its oldest winner in 2024 as he took victory with Audi. Now 63, Sainz — father of Williams Method 1 racer Carlos Sainz Jr. — says he has been weighing up the potential for placing himself ahead as a candidate towards present incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem, whose first time period has been beset by controversy.
“There are many causes, however I’ve been driving for greater than 40 years and this sport has given me every thing,” Sainz instructed Motorsport.com. “This chance [of being president] has been in my thoughts for a while now, not very deeply, however now I believe it might be the fitting time in my profession for me to take the step. I’m assured I can do an excellent job and put collectively a wonderful workforce to present again to the game a part of what it has given me.
“I’ve gathered quite a lot of expertise on this sport all through the years and I’m sure I can convey new and attention-grabbing issues, to strengthen and develop the game and the car world.”
Sainz says he’s presently assessing how a lot help he’s more likely to obtain from the motorsport neighborhood earlier than probably placing himself ahead, and insists there could be no battle of curiosity on account of his son racing in Method 1.
“I’ve my observe document and other people know me nicely sufficient to grasp that this is not going to be a problem,” he mentioned. “Clearly, I must step down relating to my function with Carlos and his profession however this isn’t a problem in any respect.
“He’s not a toddler anymore — he has been in F1 for a decade now and we each know that if I’m going forward with this challenge our relationship will change, after all. The FIA is a really severe entity and there might be no battle.”
Sainz is the primary potential candidate to publicly state curiosity in operating for the presidency, with Ben Sulayem additionally but to formally announce he might be searching for a second time period. Ben Sulayem is broadly anticipated to aim to proceed however has needed to take care of quite a lot of senior departures from the governing physique since he took over on the finish of 2021, and the FIA has confronted criticism regarding its practices underneath his management from a number of figures who’ve left.
