Sainz Sr. opts out of FIA presidency bid

Carlos Sainz Sr has opted not to basal against incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem successful the predetermination for adjacent president of the FIA, centrifugal racing's governing body.

After announcing his interest to tally successful May, the two-time World Rally champion confirmed connected Wednesday helium volition not, saying the "present circumstances are not perfect to acceptable the grounds for my candidacy."

Critics of the FIA president volition apt spot that arsenic a notation to the governing body's determination earlier this period to approve statue changes that immoderate suggested would marque it harder for anyone to situation Ben Sulayem's re-election bid.

Sainz besides cited his ongoing committedness to the Ford squad and the Dakar Rally.

Sainz's connection successful afloat read: "This connection is to publically corroborate that I person yet decided not to tally for the presidency of the FIA successful this year's election. I person worked hard these past months to recognize successful extent the concern astatine the FIA and the demands and complexities that travel with specified an important project.

"After a thoughtful reflection, I person travel to the decision that the contiguous circumstances are not perfect to acceptable the grounds for my candidacy. Furthermore, I person realized that decently moving for President would notably compromise my mentation for the Dakar and I bash not privation to weaken my committedness to Ford and my team. These concerns person truthful inclined maine to beryllium realistic and desist from my FIA endeavour for now.

"Despite stepping down from this race, my passionateness for serving and starring wrong the motorsport satellite hasn't changed and I inactive judge the enactment needs important changes, which I stay genuinely hopeful that volition beryllium tackled successful the upcoming years. Both racing and mobility person been my beingness and I volition intimately travel aboriginal developments with large interest. I volition ever enactment my athletics and effort to lend successful each meaningful ways to amended mobility for roadworthy users astir the world.

"Finally, I privation to sincerely convey you each for the messages of support, encouragement and proposal I person received during the past weeks. They person reinforced my assurance to proceed striving towards my contiguous and aboriginal goals and I'm genuinely grateful."

Ben Sulayem looks acceptable to run un-opposed successful the election.

The Emirati has been progressive successful respective controversies since being elected successful 2021 arsenic the archetypal FIA president from the Middle East.

He has been astatine loggerheads with drivers, from things specified arsenic the jewelry prohibition successful 2022 and much precocious implicit the clampdown connected profanity successful property conferences.

Briton Robert Reid, a erstwhile adjacent state who discontinue arsenic an FIA lawman president successful April, wrote successful his resignation connection of a "fundamental breakdown successful governance standards" astatine the governing body.

Reid and Motorsport UK caput David Richards had opposed different statute changes approved by the General Assembly past December that they said constricted the powers of audit and morals committees.

Ben Sulayem has besides presided implicit a play of clip which has seen tensions betwixt the FIA and Formula 1 turn implicit antithetic issues.

He was instrumental successful bringing Andretti and General Motors to the array arsenic a imaginable 11th team, overmuch to the chagrin of Formula 1 and its existing teams astatine the time.

That led to discussions with Formula 1 which yet led to General Motors committing afloat to an introduction -- Cadillac volition articulation the grid adjacent year, with a committedness to producing American-made engines by the extremity of the decade.