F1 News: Sainz Jr. admits future FIA bid unlikely for father Sainz Sr.

(GMM) Carlos Sainz Jr. (pictured with Sainz Sr.) admits he is disappointed for “motorsport” that his father has bowed out of the race to replace controversial FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

Rally icon Sainz senior, 63, declared this week that after a long period of deliberation, he had decided not to tackle the presidential elections in December.

“Disappointed?” Williams driver Sainz, 30, said when asked about it in Austria.

“As his son, no, but as a motorsport fan, yes.”

Indeed, Sainz senior had revealed over the past several weeks that he had been personally head-hunted by many who regarded him as a credible alternative to the increasingly divisive Ben Sulayem.

“Many would have liked to see my father trying and seeing what he could have done for the sport,” Sainz confirmed.

“But as his son, and after evaluating with him a bit all the aspects he had to be involved in and manage to confirm his candidacy for the presidency, I think I understand why he isn’t doing it and why he’s letting it go to focus on his own affairs.”

4-time grand prix winner Sainz also hinted that his father is unlikely to launch a more credible bid for the presidency of F1’s governing body in the future.

“Never say never,” said Sainz, “but I think the ideal time was now, given the current situation, for him to come in and try to have a positive impact.

“I don’t know if it would be ideal in four or eight years, but yes, never say never. But right now he is certainly not interested.”

When asked what sort of contribution his father would have made to the FIA, Williams driver Sainz pointed to what he sees as some of the current problems.

“In recent years, drivers have felt a certain lack of transparency and understanding with those at the top of the FIA,” he explained.

“And while the intentions have sometimes been good and the way the FIA has tried to do things has always been in the best spirit, I feel that, as drivers, we have always been a bit excluded. At times, our opinions have not been heard enough.”

Some think it’s interesting that, just as Sainz senior bows out of the running, the Ben Sulayem-led FIA has suddenly made the F1 stewards’ penalty guidelines public.

“Sometimes there have been corrections,” 30-year-old Sainz acknowledges, “but clearly, on other occasions, we haven’t felt the same, and we’ve made that very clear in our statements.

“We’ll see if it improves, and perhaps today’s press release from the FIA is already a sign of intentions to make everything a little clearer.”