LONDON (Reuters) -Spaniard Carlos Sainz Sr., father of the namesake Williams Formula One driver, said he is considering running for president of the governing FIA this year.
The 63-year-old, a double world rally champion and four-times winner of the Dakar Rally who is still competing, told Motorsport.com on Wednesday that he was assessing how much support he could count on.
Emirati Mohammed Ben Sulayem is expected to seek a second term in December and Sainz is the first potential challenger to break cover.
“This possibility (of standing) has been in my mind for some time now, not very deeply, but now I think it could be the right time in my career for me to take the step,” said Sainz.
“I’m confident I can do a good job and put together an excellent team to give back to the sport part of what it has given me.”
Ben Sulayem is a controversial figure who has had battles with teams and drivers in Formula One and rallying, but he holds a strong hand in an election where geography and regional loyalties come into play.
Presidential candidates are also required to stand with a slate of potential office-holders put forward for the various roles.
Sainz said there would be no conflict of interest with his son, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association.
“Obviously, I will have to step down regarding my role with Carlos and his career but this is not an issue at all,” he said.
“He has been in F1 for a decade now and we both know that if I go ahead with this project our relationship will change, of course. The FIA is a very serious entity and there will be no conflict.”
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
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