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Max Verstappen and George Russell have backed Carlos Sainz Sr. as he gets ready to run for the role of FIA president. The Spaniard turned heads a few days back when he expressed an interest in running for the position in the governing body.
The elections are supposed to be held later in the year, and there has been a lot of conversation around how the incumbent, Mohammad Ben Sulayem, has been taking steps to slowly concentrate all the power at the top. This has also led to quite a few senior personnel within the FIA leaving the organization. It was during this time that Carlos Sainz Sr. came out and expressed an interest in running for the role.
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The Spaniard is a motorsport icon in his country and is a two-time world champion in rallying. He is a regular in the paddock as well and can often be seen in the Williams motorhome as his son competes. As the news has circulated, F1 drivers were questioned about Carlos Sainz Sr. potentially becoming the FIA president. Max Verstappen gave a resounding endorsement from his side as he brushed off any suggestions of a potential conflict of interest. As quoted by The Race, he said,
"I read about that a little bit. I do think he's very well-respected in the world here and in the rally world. Of course people always say, 'Ah, yeah, but it's conflicting with his son' but I think he's professional enough to keep that separate from each other. I think he would be a great addition, to run for president."
Verstappen did steer clear of comparing the Spaniard with the incumbent Mohammad Ben Sulayem as he said,
"You can fill that in yourself. It'd be stupid for me to comment on that here."
George Russell joins Max Verstappen in endorsing Carlos Sainz
George Russell joined Max Verstappen in endorsing Carlos Sainz Sr. for the role of the FIA president, as the Brit felt that the Spaniard was one of the more respected names in the entire motorsport industry. Talking about how this would make a lot of sense, Russell said,
"Carlos Sr is a really, extremely respected individual within the whole motorsport industry. Not just F1, not just rallying. He has so much experience in this world. He of course, would be a fantastic candidate, if that's what he wished to do. I was quite surprised when I saw it initially, but when you think about it properly, I think it makes a lot of sense."
Alongside Max Verstappen and George Russell, Williams team boss James Vowles has also given his backing to Carlos Sainz if he runs for the position of FIA president.
Whether the Spaniard does end up becoming the president is something that is going to require a lot of effort from different corners, as the elections are scheduled for the end of the year.
