Carlos Sainz Sr. announced that he is considering a run for the FIA presidency this year in elections.
The two-time World Rally Champion continued to compete in the Dakar Rally and became the oldest winner in 2024 as he won Audi in 2024. Sainz, now 63 years old – father of Williams Formula 1 racer Carlos Sain Jr. – says he appreciates the possibility of moving himself forward as a candidate for the current incumbent Mohamed Ben Slayem, whose first term is plagued by controversy.
“For many reasons, I’ve been driving for over 40 years and the sport has given me everything,” Sainz told Motorsport.com. “This possibility hasn’t been so deep for a while, but I think it could now be the right time in my career.
“I have accumulated a lot of experience in the sport over the years, and I am confident that I can bring new and interesting things to enhance and develop the world of sports and automobiles.”
Sainz now says he is assessing how much support he may receive from the motorsports community before potentially putting himself forward, claiming there is no conflict of interest because his son is racing in Formula 1.
“I have a track record and people know me enough to understand that this isn’t a problem,” he said. “Obviously I need to resign in regards to my role with Carlos and his career, but this doesn’t really matter at all.
“He’s no longer a child. He’s been in Formula 1 for 10 years. We, of course, know that if we go ahead with this project, of course, our relationship will change. The FIA is very serious and there is no conflict.”
Sainz is the first potential candidate to publicly express his interest in running for the presidency, and Ben Sulayem has also not formally announced that he is seeking a second term. Ben Slayem is widely expected to continue, but since taking over at the end of 2021, he has had to deal with many senior departures from the Governing Body.