Carlos Sainz Sr decides not to stand for FIA president; Sulayem set to be elected unopposed

Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s chances of being re-elected unopposed as president of motor racing’s world governing body increased on Wednesday when Spaniard Carlos Sainz Sr said he would not be standing for the FIA top job.

The 63-year-old double world rally champion, four-times Dakar winner and father of the Williams Formula One driver of the same name, said in May he was considering running against the Emirati in the December election.

The decision not to go ahead will allow him to compete again in the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia with Ford next January, something he said he did not want to miss.

There is currently no other declared candidate beyond Ben Sulayem.

“Hi everyone. This message is to publicly confirm that I have finally decided not to run for the presidency of the FIA in this year’s election,” Sainz said on X.

“I have worked hard these past months to understand in depth the situation at the FIA and the demands and complexities that come with such an important project,” he added.

“After a thoughtful reflection, I have come to the conclusion that the present circumstances are not ideal to set the grounds for my candidacy.”

Sainz’s son is a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association and the older Spaniard has dismissed suggestions there would be a conflict of interest if he was elected FIA president.

ALSO READ | Vettel confirms ‘talks’ with Marko over succeeding him at Red Bull

Sainz said his desire to serve and lead remained strong and he still believed the organisation needed to make some important changes, which he hoped would happen in years to come.

Ben Sulayem, who confirmed in May that he would be standing for a second term, is a controversial figure who has had battles with teams and drivers in Formula One and rallying.

He holds a strong hand in an election where regional loyalties come into play and recent statute changes have made it harder, according to critics, for potential rivals to stand against him.

Presidential candidates are also required to stand with a slate of potential office-holders put forward for the various roles.