With the FIA Presidential election coming up this year, Carlos Sainz Sr. has been approached to run against the current president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
Ever since Mohammed Ben Sulayem was elected as the FIA President, there have been a lot of controversies within the organisation. Several key FIA personnel, including the deputy president (Rabert Reid), CEO (Natalie Robyn), Sporting Director (Steve Nielsen), Race Director (Niels Wittich), and the list doesn’t stop there.
According to Motorsport.com, many key figures in motorsport have approached Carlos Sainz Sr. to run against Mohammed Ben Sulayem in the upcoming FIA presidential election, which will take place in December 2025.
Carlos Sainz Sr.’s impressive resume to become FIA President
Carlos Sainz Sr. is well-loved and respected in the world of motorsport. He is one of the best Rally drivers in the history of the sport. He is a 2x World Rally Champion with 26 wins and 97 podiums. In addition to this, Sainz has also won the Dakar Rally 4 times and holds the record for the oldest driver to win the Dakar Rally at the age of 61.
Given his accomplishments, it is obvious why he is one of the most respected personalities in the Motorsport community. There is no doubt that he is a good choice for the next FIA president. While Sainz Sr. does have an impressive resume, there is one possible conflict fo interest – His son.
| BREAKING: Carlos Sainz Sr is considering running for FIA president.
It is understood he has been approached by senior executives in motorsport, urging him to challenge Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
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@autosport ]#F1 #FIA pic.twitter.com/vnR2AyRwQg
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) May 7, 2025
Carlos Sainz Jr. is currently a driver for Williams Racing in Formula 1. Given that Formula 1 is one of the Championships that is under the governance of the FIA, it could create a conflict of interest for Sainz Sr.
One way to avoid this conflict of interest is for Sainz Sr. to take a more passive role when it comes to F1. Ever since the current president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, was appointed as the president, he has played an active role in F1, and that has not had a positive effect on him. Sainz Sr. could choose to take a more passive role and trust that the personnel he appoints as the race director and stewards to do their jobs.
