BREAKING: Carlos Sainz Sr. finally reveals whether or not he will run for FIA presidency!

Sainz delivered the message with a statement in both Spanish and English on his X account.

Much had been discussed in recent months about Sainz running against the current president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who has had his fair share of controversies.

In April 2025, Robert Reid, the former deputy president for sport at the FIA, resigned in a move that hit out at Ben Sulayem, saying he could not serve his role 'in good faith'. In February, several members of the governing body were banned from a meeting of its world council after refusing to sign a non-disclosure agreement, resulting in an open letter being published by David Richards, the UK's representative, in April, where he said Ben Sulayem's power became "only greater".

People from across the motorsport world, including drivers, team bosses and management figures, backed the Spaniard for the election. However, he has now decided that it is not the right time to run due to his Dakar Rally commitments with Ford.

Sainz still stated, however, that the FIA needs to make important changes, which he remains 'genuinely hopeful' about.

It remains to be seen whether or not the two-time WRC champion will run again in the future. For now, he will aim to win the legendary Dakar Rally race for the fifth time.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem previously stated that he would run for a second term. In December 2021, Ben Sulayem took over from former President Jean Todt facing the highly controversial 2021 world championship finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

Sulayem's administration has been highly criticised by what some FIA members believe to be a lack of transparency and openness, failing to uphold some of the key promises he made during his campaign.