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The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
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.
New Straits Times
25-06-2025
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
Carlos Sainz Sr decides not to stand for FIA president
LONDON: 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. 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.
News18
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- News18
Carlos Sainz For FIA President? Major Shake-up In F1 Authority Possible: Report
Last Updated: Emirati Mohammed Ben Sulayem is expected to seek a second term in December, and Sainz is the first potential challenger to break cover. Spaniard Carlos Sainz Sr., father of the namesake Williams Formula One driver, said he is considering running for president of the governing FIA this year. The 63-year-old, a double world rally champion and four-time winner of the Dakar Rally who is still competing, told on Wednesday that he was assessing how much support he could count on. Emirati Mohammed Ben Sulayem is expected to seek a second term in December, and Sainz is the first potential challenger to break cover. 'This possibility (of standing) has been in my mind for some time now, not very deeply, but now I think it could be the right time in my career for me to take the step," said Sainz. 'I'm confident I can do a good job and put together an excellent team to give back to the sport part of what it has given me." Ben Sulayem is a controversial figure who has had battles with teams and drivers in Formula One and rallying, but he holds a strong hand in an election where geography and regional loyalties come into play. Presidential candidates are also required to stand with a slate of potential office-holders put forward for the various roles. Sainz said there would be no conflict of interest with his son, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association. '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." First Published: May 08, 2025, 11:19 IST
The Hindu
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Carlos Sainz Sr. considering standing for FIA president
Spaniard Carlos Sainz Sr., father of the namesake Williams Formula One driver, said he is considering running for president of the governing FIA this year. The 63-year-old, a double world rally champion and four-time winner of the Dakar Rally who is still competing, told on Wednesday that he was assessing how much support he could count on. Emirati Mohammed Ben Sulayem is expected to seek a second term in December and Sainz is the first potential challenger to break cover. 'This possibility (of standing) has been in my mind for some time now, not very deeply, but now I think it could be the right time in my career for me to take the step,' said Sainz. READ | Alpine confirms Colapinto as Doohan's replacement for next five race weekends 'I'm confident I can do a good job and put together an excellent team to give back to the sport part of what it has given me.' Ben Sulayem is a controversial figure who has had battles with teams and drivers in Formula One and rallying, but he holds a strong hand in an election where geography and regional loyalties come into play. Presidential candidates are also required to stand with a slate of potential office-holders put forward for the various roles. Sainz said there would be no conflict of interest with his son, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association. 'Obviously, I will have to step down regarding my role with Carlos and his career but this is not an issue at all,' he said. '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.'
New York Times
11-04-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
Carlos Sainz escapes FIA sanction for swearing in news conference
SAKHIR, Bahrain — Williams Formula One driver Carlos Sainz will escape action from the FIA stewards after swearing in a news conference on Thursday in Bahrain, having expressed regret over his actions. Last year, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc both faced sanctions from the FIA stewards after swearing in news conferences amid a clampdown by F1's governing body on bad language, with new 'misconduct' guidelines coming into force for this year. Advertisement Sainz was fined €10,000 for being late for the national anthem on the grid ahead of last Sunday's race in Japan, which he told the stewards was due to a stomach issue. Speaking about the matter on Thursday in the FIA news conference, Sainz explained that he was only five seconds late for the anthem and said: 'I don't know if I'm going to get another fine for saying this, but s*** happens.' The language put Sainz at risk of action from the FIA under its misconduct guidelines, which have a range of potential sanctions for repeat offences including fines, points deductions and race bans. But an FIA spokesperson has confirmed to The Athletic that Sainz will not face any action from the stewards. Sainz was spoken to by the FIA's media delegate over his language on Friday morning in Bahrain ahead of opening practice at the Sakhir circuit. He apologized and expressed regrets over his language, and promised to make amends for his actions. As a result of the talks, Sainz will not be reported to the stewards, meaning there will be no action taken against him over his language as there was against both Verstappen and Leclerc. Last year, Verstappen was ordered by the FIA to complete community service after describing his car in a news conference as being 'a bit f*****' ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, with the sanction prompting the Red Bull driver to then refuse to elaborate on his answers in the official news conferences for the rest of the race weekend. Verstappen said the sanction was 'ridiculous' at the time, but ultimately completed the community service by taking part in a grassroots motorsport event in Rwanda ahead of the FIA prize giving in December. At October's Mexico City Grand Prix, Ferrari driver Leclerc used the word 'f***' in the FIA news conference when describing a moment where he nearly crashed in the race. He immediately realised his mistake, saying: 'I don't want to join Max!' The stewards still looked dimly on the matter despite noting his contrition, fining him €10,000 with €5,000 being suspended for 12 months. ()
