Carlos Sainz won’t run to be FIA president after all

Carlos Sainz has announced he won’t enter the race to be elected FIA president after all, meaning controversial incumbent Muhammed Ben Sulayem still has no challenger with six months to go. *Slow clap*

Sainz had made it known last month he was thinking about running, but has decided that the timing and what we’ll loosely refer to as ‘how things are at the moment’ means his bid is just not a goer… for now.

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

“Furthermore, I have realised that properly running for President would notably compromise my preparation for the Dakar and I do not wish to weaken my commitment to Ford and my team. These concerns have therefore inclined me to be realistic and desist from my FIA endeavour for now.”

Sainz is set for another tilt at the Dakar Rally with Ford in 2026, where he’s targeting a fifth overall victory with what would be a record five different manufacturers.

As for ‘how things are at the moment’, the FIA recently secured rule changes that – on the face of it – appear to make it easier for the sitting president to bar rival candidates on the grounds of ‘professional integrity’ and ‘conflicts of interest’. Right.

Carlos Sainz Sr is of course the father of Williams driver Carlos Sainz Jr, and it doesn’t take much to imagine that becoming a problem all of a sudden had the two-time WRC champion decided to stand.

His karting company was also caught up in a racism row some years ago, although – how do we put this – controversies on the internet and in newspapers haven’t been fatal to FIA presidents in the past. Get your parents to Google it, kids. No seriously, please get your parents to do it.

The FIA presidential election is set to take place in December this year, with the winner securing a four-year term. Anyone out there of high moral calibre who fancies a go?