Rally legend Carlos Sainz Sr is contemplating working for president of the FIA, motorsport’s governing physique, in December’s election.
The 63-year-old two-time world champion instructed motorsport.com, exterior he was “within the means of determining how a lot help I’ll get locally of motorsport”.
Sainz – who can be a four-time winner of the Dakar Rally, on which this yr he was nonetheless competing – can be working towards present FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, whose time period in workplace since 2021 has been beset by controversy.
Ben Sulayem has not but formally declared his intention to run once more, however is understood to be planning to. No different potential candidate has but declared curiosity.
Sainz stated: “This risk has been in my thoughts for a while now, not very deeply, however now I believe it could possibly be the suitable time in my profession for me to take the step.
“I am assured I can do job and put collectively a superb group to present again to the game a part of what it has given me.
“I’ve accrued numerous expertise on this sport all through the years and I am sure I can convey new and fascinating issues, to strengthen and develop the game and the auto world.”
Sainz is broadly considered a person of seriousness and integrity, in addition to unquestionably an all-time nice in his discipline. Sources say he’s a consequential candidate and would have widespread help from throughout the sport.
Sainz stated there can be no battle of curiosity with the truth that his son Carlos is an energetic F1 driver with Williams.
“I’ve my monitor document and other people know me properly sufficient to know that this is not going to be a problem,” Sainz stated. “Clearly, I should step down relating to my position with Carlos and his profession however this isn’t a problem in any respect.
“He isn’t a baby any extra, he has been in F1 for a decade now and we each know that if I am going forward with this venture our relationship will change, in fact.
“The FIA is a really critical entity and there will probably be no battle.”
Ben Sulayem suffered a blow to his presidency with the resignation of his deputy president for sport, Robert Reid, final month.
Reid give up citing “a basic breakdown in governance requirements” throughout the FIA.
On the day Reid introduced his resignation, the previous FIA chief govt officer Natalie Robyn broke the silence she had maintained since being pressured to resign final summer time after 18 months within the position.
Robyn instructed BBC Sport the FIA had “critical ongoing structural challenges”, including that “skilled processes aren’t adhered to and stakeholders are excluded from decision-making”.
Robyn’s departure got here after she raised questions in regards to the normal governance of the FIA and its skilled practices, together with funds within the president’s workplace.
Her departure was adopted by the firing of the pinnacle of the audit committee Bertrand Badre, a former head of the World Financial institution, and audit committee member Tom Purves, a former BMW govt.
In November, Ben Sulayem fired FIA compliance officer Paolo Basarri, who in March final yr regarded into allegations that Ben Sulayem interfered within the operations of the Saudi Arabian and Las Vegas Grands Prix in 2023. Ben Sulayem was cleared following an investigation by the FIA’s ethics committee.
The FIA is at present the topic of authorized motion by Susie Wolff, the boss of the F1 Academy for aspiring feminine drivers, after a controversial battle of curiosity inquiry into her and her husband, Toto Wolff, the boss of Mercedes motorsport.
Senior FIA figures have additionally raised considerations about Ben Sulayem’s resolution to alter the statutes of the governing physique final yr to scale back accountability.
And ultimately weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, Grand Prix Drivers’ Affiliation director George Russell known as for motion relatively than phrases from the FIA on the controversy over censures for swearing and criticising the governing physique.
The FIA can be but to clarify the circumstances behind the return to the organisation of former interim secretary normal Shaila-Ann Rao, just a little over two years after she left the organisation following a troublesome relationship with Ben Sulayem.
