Rally legend Sainz Sr pulls out of FIA presidency race, says present circumstances ‘not ideal'
MADRID, June 26 — Two-time world rally champion Carlos Sainz Sr said yesterday he was not going to run for president of the International Motoring Federation (FIA), clearing the way for Mohammed Ben Sulayem's re-election.
Sainz, the father of Formula One driver Carlos Sainz Jr, last month said he was considering running for the position as head of motorsport's governing body.
'I have finally decided not to run for the presidency of the FIA in this year's election,' the 63-year-old Sainz wrote in a message on social media.
'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.
'After thoughtful reflection, I have come to the conclusion that the present circumstances are not ideal to set the grounds for my candidacy.'
Sainz, a four-time winner of the Dakar Rally, said he also did not want his preparations for next year's race to be affected by a bid for the FIA presidency.
There is as yet no official opponent for current FIA boss Ben Sulayem in the December 12 election.
However, his presidency has been punctuated by controversy following the resignations of several of the FIA's key senior staff and his moves to ban all swearing by F1 drivers. — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
8 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Hip-hop trio Kneecap to play Glastonbury despite calls for ban
GLASTONBURY, June 28 — Irish hip-hop group Kneecap will perform at Glastonbury Festival today despite criticism by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and pressure from some in the music industry to pull the gig. Frontman Liam O'Hanna, whose stage name is Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He was mobbed by supporters chanting 'Free Palestine' and 'Free Mo Chara' when he appeared at court in London. He was released on unconditional bail until another hearing in August. Footage has also emerged of the band saying on stage: 'Kill your local MP' and 'The only good Tory is a dead Tory.' They have apologised for the comments about killing an MP. Starmer told the Sun newspaper earlier in June it was 'not appropriate' for Kneecap, who rap in Irish and English, to appear at Glastonbury. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch has also commented, saying the BBC, which broadcasts the festival, should not show them. Some 30 music industry bosses asked organisers to pull Kneecap from the line-up, according to a letter leaked by the DJ Toddla T, cited by the Guardian. In response, more than 100 musicians have signed a public letter in support of the group. Kneecap's manager Dan Lambert said the group had expected calls for the group's performance to be cancelled. 'We knew that the biggest pressure would come on Glastonbury because Glastonbury's an institution,' he told Reuters. But it had not been an issue for organisers. 'We didn't bring it up and they didn't bring it up,' he said on site at Worthy Farm. 'They treated us professionally.' Revellers attend the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset June 26, 2025. — Reuters pic Organiser Emily Eavis said on Wednesday the festival was a platform for artists from all over the world, adding that 'everyone is welcome here'. The footage of O'Hanna displaying the flag came to light after the Northern Irish trio projected pro-Palestinian messages on stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California in April, ending with: 'F*** Israel. Free Palestine.' Kneecap, whose other members have the stage names Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, have said they do not support Hamas or Hezbollah. O'Hanna said yesterday the group were 'playing characters' on stage, and it was up to the audience to interpret their messages. 'Take what you want from it, but we're not going to change in that way,' he told the Guardian newspaper. — Reuters
Malay Mail
9 hours ago
- Malay Mail
From icon to outcast: PSG brace for Messi reunion as Club World Cup pits them against Inter Miami
ATLANTA, June 28 — Paris Saint-Germain have come to the Club World Cup as newly crowned champions of Europe, but a meeting with the Inter Miami of Lionel Messi in the last 16 this Sunday brings back memories of unhappier times for the French club. PSG's stunning 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in Munich at the end of last month which allowed them to win the UEFA Champions League for the first time completed an incredible season for the Qatar-backed side under the coaching of Luis Enrique. It is no coincidence that PSG achieved their crowning glory in their first season after definitively shifting their focus away from signing superstar players to instead allow a brilliant coach to work with a hungry, dynamic young team. Kylian Mbappe's move a year ago to Real Madrid followed the departures in 2023 of Neymar, the world's most expensive signing when he joined in 2017, and Messi, in the same summer Luis Enrique was appointed. When PSG pounced in August 2021 to sign Messi after a cash-strapped Barcelona were unable to keep him, the French side logically thought the Argentinian could be the man to deliver elusive Champions League glory. Messi, who was 34 at the time, thought the same thing. 'My dream is to win another Champions League and I think I am in the ideal place to have that chance and to do it,' he said at his unveiling. Alas, it did not work out that way, either in Messi's first season in Paris, under compatriot Mauricio Pochettino in 2021/22, or in the next campaign under Christophe Galtier. PSG had got to the Champions League final and then semi-finals in the two seasons prior to Messi's arrival, so he looked like the final piece in the jigsaw. Instead they went backwards with him in the side, going out of Europe's elite club competition in the last 16 two years running. All is not forgiven Having to fit in Messi – with his estimated annual salary of 30 million euros (US$35.2 million) after tax – as well as Neymar and Mbappe may have increased the star appeal, but it weakened them as a team. Towards the end the Barcelona legend was even being jeered by some sections of the PSG support who felt Messi's commitment to the cause was not what it should have been. Messi was a PSG player when he inspired Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in late 2022, but there were only flashes of his genius at club level in France. His statistics stand up to any scrutiny, with 32 goals and 35 assists in 75 appearances, and he did win two Ligue 1 titles while helping increase PSG's value as a brand. But one memorable quote by a columnist in French sports daily L'Equipe rather summed things up. 'PSG have not been better than they were before because of he seemed to have as much desire to play in Ligue 1 as he did to go to the dentist,' wrote Vincent Duluc. Fast forward two years and Messi is enjoying the twilight of his career in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami, the team he has helped to qualify for the knockout stage of this Club World Cup. Fate has therefore thrown up a last-16 showdown with PSG on Sunday in Atlanta, at the same stadium where he scored a marvellous free-kick to secure a 2-1 win over Porto last week. 'All is not forgiven', said the front page of L'Equipe in France on Friday as it described the feelings of 'failure and bitterness' left behind from the Argentine's spell there. Miami coach Javier Mascherano, meanwhile, believes the unhappy memory of his time in Paris could spur Messi on. 'It's clear that for us it's better if he plays angry, because he's one of those players who, when he has something on his mind, gives an extra effort,' Mascherano told ESPN. With Luis Enrique and PSG boasting big ambitions of adding a world title to their European crown, there would be even more bitterness felt if Messi – days after his 38th birthday – managed to knock them out on Sunday. — AFP
The Star
16 hours ago
- The Star
Soccer-Spain's Bonmati hospitalised with viral meningitis days before Euro 2025
Soccer Football - Women's Nations League - League A - Portugal v Spain - Estadio Capital do Movel, Pacos de Ferreira, Portugal - April 4, 2025 Spain's Aitana Bonmati during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Miguel Vidal (Reuters) -Midfielder Aitana Bonmati, Ballon d'Or winner for the last two years, has been hospitalised with viral meningitis less than a week before Spain begin their Women's Euro 2025 campaign, coach Montse Tome said. The 27-year-old missed Friday's 3-1 win over Japan in a friendly as Spain continued building up to their first Group B match against Portugal on July 3. Bonmati shared a picture of herself watching the match from a hospital bed in an Instagram story. "The doctors say that it is controlled. Talking about meningitis can be scary but it is controlled," Tome told reporters after the win in Leganes. "Aitana will be admitted and there are no deadlines yet to know for how long (she will be absent).' Barcelona's Bonmati, who also won the FIFA Women's Player of the Year award for 2023 and 2024, has scored 30 goals for Spain in 78 appearances, playing a key role as they won the Women's World Cup in 2023 and the Women's Nations League last year. "Aitana, for us, is a very important player. We'll wait for her as long as we can," Tome added. Spain, who also have Belgium and Italy in their group, have never made it to the final of the continental championship, reaching the semi-finals only once in 1997. (Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Sam Holmes)
