Rally legend Carlos Sainz has decided not to run for the presidency of motorsport’s governing body the FIA in December’s election.

The 63-year-old, who said in May he was considering the idea, explained that “the present circumstances are not ideal to set the grounds for my candidacy”.

Sainz said in a statement on social media, external that he believed the FIA “still needs important changes, which I remain genuinely hopeful will be tackled in the upcoming years”.

He added that a campaign would interfere with his preparations for next year’s Dakar Rally.

Sainz won the Dakar for the fourth time in 2024 and will compete in the desert event in Saudi Arabia next January with Ford.

His son – also named Carlos Sainz – drives for Williams in Formula 1.

Sainz Snr said: “I have realised that properly running for president would notably compromise my preparation for the Dakar and I do not wish to weaken my commitment to Ford and my team.

“These concerns have therefore inclined me to be realistic and desist from my FIA endeavour for now.”

The only declared candidate for the election is the current president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, whose time in office has been beset by controversies.

These involve changes to the FIA statutes that appear to extend his control, along with a series of sackings of senior figures within the FIA, and for his involvement in a series of situations that have angered many in Formula 1, from commercial rights holder Liberty Media to the drivers.

The FIA is currently the subject of a lawsuit from Susie Wolff, the head of the F1 Academy for aspiring female drivers and wife of Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff.