Williams F1 driver Carlos Sainz Jr has shared his thoughts on his father Carlos Sainz Sr’s decision to withdraw from the race for FIA presidency.
The rally legend recently announced his withdrawal in a public statement, stepping aside instead of directly challenging incumbent president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who is seeking re-election. The FIA will hold the vote on 12 December in Uzbekistan.
Different points of view
Speaking ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, Sainz Jr expressed a mixed view on his father’s decision, acknowledging the potential positive impact a Sainz presidency could have brought to motorsport while also understanding the reasoning behind his withdrawal.
“As his son, no. As a motorsport fan, yes. I think many motorsport people would have liked to see my dad giving it a go. Also seeing what he could have done for the sport.“
Carlos Sainz Sr cited the importance of honouring pre-existing commitments as a key factor in his decision. Chief among them is his upcoming campaign in the 2026 Dakar Rally, where he will compete with Ford after he retired early from this year’s edition.
Hope remains despite withdrawal
As an active Formula 1 driver, Sainz Jr appreciates the significance of adequate preparation before a major challenge. While understanding his father’s reasons, he also left the door open to a possible future candidacy.
“But as his son… After evaluating a bit also with him, all the things he had to get involved with and have to take care of to confirm and to have any possibility of running for that presidency… I think I understand why he’s not doing it and why he’s letting it go and focusing on his own stuff.”
“Never say never. I think the ideal time was now, given the state of the situation that everything is in. It was the ideal moment for him to go in and try to have a positive effect. I don’t know if that would be ideal in four or eight years’ time. I’d never say never, but right now for sure he’s not interested anymore.”
Concerns about current leadership
Sainz Jr also voiced his dissatisfaction with certain actions taken by the current FIA president. Ben Sulayem has come under scrutiny for imposing strict behavioural conduct guidelines and introducing measures seen by some as limiting personal freedom.
“I think there’s no secret. Drivers… we’ve felt over the last few years that there’s been a bit of a lack of transparency and a lack of understanding with the main governance of the FIA.”
“Even though the intentions might have been good sometimes and the way the FIA were trying to do things might have always been within the best spirit, I felt like drivers… We’ve always been a bit left out and sometimes our opinions were not listened to enough.“
Sainz expressed a desire for future leadership to come from someone more embedded in the racing world, lamenting the missed opportunity of having an active competitor like his father lead the organisation.
“There’s sometimes been corrections and we felt like there’s been a good reaction to those corrections. But clearly other times we haven’t felt that way and we’ve made it very clear with our statements.”
“I can only see a way forward and getting better because this year has certainly been frustrating for the most part. Let’s see if it improves. Maybe today’s press release from the FIA is already a sign of the intentions of making everything a bit more clear.”
Looking ahead
As Ben Sulayem remains widely expected to win re-election in December, Sainz Jr stays cautiously optimistic about the FIA’s direction in the years ahead. His hope is that the federation embraces greater transparency and involves drivers more directly in key decisions—ideals he believes his father would have championed had he remained in the race.
