Carlos Sainz Sr, a two-time World Rally champion legend and father of Williams Formula 1 star Carlos Sainz, is reportedly considering a bid to replace the current president of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

The former World Rally champion and four-time Dakar winner is an icon of the sport having claimed the WRC drivers’ championship in 1990 and 1992 with Toyota.

Nowadays, Sainz Sr is frequently present in the F1 paddock supporting his son who is currently adapting to his new Williams team after being dropped by Ferrari last season to make way for seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

The Williams star himself has strengthened his position in the paddock this year and was announced as the new director at the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) ahead of the 2025 campaign, replacing four-time champion Sebastian Vettel in the role.

Will the FIA elect a new president for 2026?

The punishments for using X-rated language in FIA governed championships has remained a hot topic for debate over the past year with reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen boycotting a press conference at the Singapore GP and handed a community service-style punishment as a result of swearing.

The debate raged on in WRC after Hyundai driver Adrien Fourmaux was fined €10,000 and hit with a suspended €20,000 fine for using ‘inappropriate language’ during a post-stage TV, with many of his colleagues responding by refusing to speak English in the interviews that followed.