- Election takes place on 12th December in Uzbekistan
- Sainz says connection to his son, F1 driver Carlos Sainz Jr, “will not be an issue”
- Decision to run would be based on “passion and love for motorsport”
Two-time World Rally Championship (WRC) champion Carlos Sainz Sr is considering running for president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA).
Speaking to Motorsport.com, the Spaniard revealed that “now is the right time” to weigh up his options and that he is “currently in the process of figuring out how much support I will get from the community of motorsport”.
The next election will take place on 12th December in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Current president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is expected to seek a second term, with no other candidates yet to come forward.
Sainz is the father of current Williams Formula One driver Carlos Sainz Jr, but he believes there will be no conflict of interest if he succeeds in becoming FIA president.
“I have my track record and people know me well enough to understand that this will not be an issue,” he said. “Obviously, I will have to step down regarding my role with Carlos and his career but this is not an issue at all.
“He’s not a child anymore, he has been in F1 for a decade now and we both know that if I go ahead with this project our relationship will change, of course.
“The FIA is a very serious entity and there will be no conflict.”
Sainz’s claims are perhaps supported by the fact that Stefano Domenicali, current president and chief executive of Formula One, was the former team principal of Ferrari.
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Controversy has engulfed motorsport’s governing body under the leadership of Ben Sulayem, so a fresh start may appeal to stakeholders keen to remove the organisation from the headlines. Sainz, though, is not planning on a hostile campaign should he look to topple the incumbent president.
“I think obviously lately there has been some controversy, but I want to concentrate on myself. I leave the judgment to others,” he said.
“If I do this [run for president] it will not be to fight anyone, it will be out of passion and love for motorsport, because I believe I can help and improve certain things.
“I believe it is probably the right time for me personally and professionally, and that is why I am considering it.”
Various flashpoints at the FIA include Robert Reid’s departure from his role as deputy president for sport, following several disagreements with Ben Sulayem in the months leading up to his resignation. This came after Motorsport UK chair David Richards accused the FIA of a “shift in moral compass”.
Race director Niels Wittich and chief executive Natalie Robyn were other high-profile exits from the FIA in the past two years. Ben Sulayem also now has the power to judge ethics complaints against himself, which some have argued sets a worrying precedence for the organisation’s future governance.
In her first interview since leaving the FIA in May 2024, Robyn told BBC Sport that the governing body has “serious ongoing structural challenges” and said recent developments “threaten both the credibility and the long-term effectiveness of an important institution”.
A final decision from Sainz hinges on the level of support he is able to muster before formally putting himself forward for the FIA presidency.
Meanwhile, Ben Sulayem has suggested the possibility of scrapping Formula One’s cost cap due to it becoming such a burden for the FIA.
“I’m looking at the cost cap and it’s just giving the FIA a headache. So what’s the point of it?” said Ben Sulayem, who was speaking before the start of last weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, as reported by the Associated Press (AP).
“I don’t see the point. I really don’t.”
The cost cap was introduced in 2021 to create more parity between Formula One teams. Teams must adhere to the cap, which covers expenditures related to research, development, testing and race operations, with penalties for exceeding the specified limit.
The cost cap for the 2025 season is US$140.4 million.
Ben Sulayem is also exploring the feasibility of a suggestion made by McLaren chief executive Zak Brown, who wants any team raising an allegation against a rival having to pay a monetary deposit. The money would be returned if the allegations are proved true but should count against the cost cap otherwise.
Ben Sulayem wants to adopt the rule, but is studying if it should count against the cost cap.
“You cannot just accuse someone without a written complaint, and that protest, you have to pay money,” he said.
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