Could the FIA Reject Carlos Sainz Sr.’s Presidency Bid?

May 15 – The president of F1’s governing body is back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

The increasingly divisive figure, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, looks set to be challenged in this December’s FIA presidential elections by Carlos Sainz’s rallying legend father, Carlos Sainz senior.

“He is the best possible person in the world to take on this role,” Dutch racing driver Jeroen Bleekemolen told the Dutch publication Formule 1. “Sainz understands and knows exactly how the sport works.

“There’s been a lot of political fuss lately, to put it mildly,” he added.

Indeed, the latest development is that Ben Sulayem has followed through with his pledge to tweak his highly controversial new driver behaviour rules.

Among other changes, the FIA confirmed in a statement that the “New guidance will significantly reduce the maximum penalties for drivers by 50 percent”.

Swearing in the cockpit, meanwhile – a specified “non-controlled environment” – will also be treated more mildly.

“As a former rally driver, I know firsthand the range of emotions that are faced during competition,” Ben Sulayem commented.

One analysis of the situation is that Ben Sulayem fears that a potential candidate like Sainz, 63, will quickly gain support ahead of the December elections.

It’s highly notable, therefore, that reports are circulating that Ben Sulayem is currently in the process of “trying to secure his re-election by amending the statutes and eliminating potential opponents early on”.

That’s the assessment of Auto Motor und Sport’s Joel Lischka, revealing that “a classified document” has leaked out of the FIA’s Paris headquarters.

Lischka explains the proposed statute changes: “Anyone seeking the presidency must not only announce their candidacy but also their entire team earlier than before.

“This would theoretically give the FIA commissions more time to find reasons for rejecting potential opponents.”

The German publication also notes that another tweak – to the FIA statutes’ ethics guidelines – could rule Sainz snr out on the basis of conflict of interest, given that his 30-year-old son is an active F1 driver.

The proposed changes could be put to a vote at the FIA General Assembly in June. “Whether sufficient dissenting votes can be mobilised remains to be seen,” said Lischka.

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