Sebastien Ogier throws support behind possible Carlos Sainz Sr FIA presidency bid
As revealed by Motorsport.com last week, two-time WRC champion Sainz Sr is seriously considering whether to formally stand for election against Mohammed Ben Sulayem in the race to become FIA president. Sainz Sr is gauging his level of support from the FIA's member automotive clubs before making a final decision.
Advertisement
The news of Sainz Sr's potential presidency bid follows another high-profile WRC figure in M-Sport-Ford founder Malcolm Wilson being nominated by Ben Sulayem to take over the governing body's deputy president for sport role, recently vacated by 2001 WRC co-driver champion Robert Reid.
Interestingly, Sainz Sr drove for M-Sport in WRC (1996-1997 and 2000-2002) before returning to the operation that runs the factory Ford Rally-Raid programme last year.
When asked about the possibility of Sainz Sr considering running from FIA president, Ogier was among a group of WRC drivers that indicated their support for Sainz.
'The only thing I can say is I have always had massive respect for Carlos and I like him a lot as a person as well,' Ogier told Motorsport.com at Rally Portugal. 'If I'm honest I will be happy and will support him running for that if I can. I don't know what kind of power I have, but probably very little. I was happy to read this news, so let's see what happens.'
Sébastien Ogier, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Sébastien Ogier, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Toyota Racing
Toyota Racing
Advertisement
Hyundai boss Cyril Abiteboul stopped short of offering his support to a potential Sainz run for FIA presidency, but admitted he would welcome an FIA presidency election that has several candidates.
'I think having multiple candidates is a good thing. In any election voters should be given options and given a choice, so I think it is good,' Abiteboul told Motorsport.com.
'Like our current president, Carlos is coming with a huge rally background and for our sport it is equally as good news as Mohammed Ben Sulayem running for presidency a few years back.'
WRC drivers support FIA tweak to swearing penalties
The WRC service park in Portugal has also reacted positively to confirmation that the FIA has revised the penalties in Appendix B of its International Sporting Code, reducing the potential fines for drivers caught swearing.
Advertisement
The improvements come after WRC drivers, through the new World Rally Drivers Alliance (WoRDA), urged the FIA for changes to be implemented after Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux was fined for swearing during a televised stage-end interview at Rally Sweden.
'I haven't read exactly what changed there but it looks like there is some move that is positive and for once all the effort we have done has probably paid off as well,' Ogier said. 'I'm not sure if it is only thanks to WoRDA, but I'm sure WoRDA contributed to that. That's positive.'
Read Also:
Four big questions as WRC begins its gravel season in Portugal
To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
12 hours ago
- Newsweek
Max Verstappen's Towel Throw Prompts FIA Action For Red Bull
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Red Bull driver Max Verstappen was investigated after throwing a towel out of his car during Free Practice 2 of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend. The four-time champion discovered a towel in the cockpit of his RB-21 and flung it out as he drove through Turn 3. After the session was over, the FIA stewards summoned the Dutchman over the incident. The official infringement was labeled as an unsafe release because the team allowed the car to go out on track with the towel still in the car. Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing looks on in the garage during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 01, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing looks on in the garage during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 01, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. Photo byThere was no damage done to another car, but the towel could potentially get caught on the floor of a car or in a sidepod inlet. Verstappen explained the incident after FP2 concluded: "It's just a towel that you normally wipe your face with when you come back in, so it was still in the car when I went out," he told reporters. "Instead of it, of course, maybe potentially flying in between my feet, which is the dangerous part, I drove offline, and I got rid of it in the safest way possible, so I think the stewards understand that." More than an hour after the session, the FIA delivered a decision and handed the team a warning over the towel being left in the car. "The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 1 (Max Verstappen), team representative and reviewed video and in-car video evidence," the governing body said in a statement. "Shortly after Car 1 was released from its garage, the driver of Car 1 was observed to have thrown a towel out of the cockpit. "The driver explained that while in the garage, the face towel had slipped from his lap to the side of the seat, and the team was unaware that it remained in the cockpit. "When the driver realised it was there, he moved to the far right of the track and attempted to throw it as far away from the car and the track as possible. The Stewards determine that the towel had the potential to have become lodged in the footwell and to interfere with the driver's ability to fully control the car and that therefore the car was released in an unsafe condition. "The stewards consider this case to be distinguishable from a case where a hard (and therefore potentially dangerous) object is left in the cockpit and to be less severe than such a case. "Hence, a warning to the team is imposed." Verstappen and Red Bull dodged a harsher penalty from the stewards, but he still won't be happy after Friday's disastrous sessions. Red Bull looked far off the pace, especially Verstappen, who ended up finishing 14th in FP2. The team is known for struggling on Friday, only for a miraculous turnaround on Saturday and Sunday. They will need more magic if they hope to fight for a podium position.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
The key blueprint Oscar Piastri nailed to outfox Lando Norris in rain-impacted Belgian GP
In hindsight, Oscar Piastri's wry smile was indicative of the events that followed. Sitting on pole for Saturday's sprint race, the Australian was powerless to stop Max Verstappen storming past him on the first racing lap. But for the grand prix, with McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris out in front, second-placed Piastri had the opportunity to follow suit. When asked, a weak attempt at a poker face could not hide his clear agenda. And after a start which was delayed by one hour and 20 minutes following a heavy downpour on a murky day at Spa-Francorchamps, Piastri stole a march on Norris – after four laps behind the safety car – with what turned out to be a simple overtake on the first racing lap. It would be the race-winning moment. As the track quickly dried up, the McLaren pair went on different strategies and it was Piastri who managed to keep the lead, despite his set of worn-out tyres, to claim his sixth victory of the season and first in four races. The gap between the McLaren pair at the top is now 16 points, heading into round 14 in Hungary next weekend. Charles Leclerc took home a respectable third place for Ferrari, with Max Verstappen largely powerless in fourth. Lewis Hamilton, who started in the pit lane, recovered impressively to come home in seventh to conclude a wretched weekend for the seven-time world champion. For Piastri, however, a rare expletive-led show of joy at the chequered flag: 'Nicely f****** done.' He later added: 'It was very lively! I knew lap one would be my best chance of winning the race. I lifted as little as I dared through Eau Rouge and it was enough. 'We had it mostly under control. Turns out starting second is not too bad after all.' For a while, it seemed as if we might not get a race at all. Amid heavy rain at Spa-Francorchamps – four years on from a farcical two-lap race here behind the safety car in treacherous conditions – the grand prix started behind the safety car with the formation lap. However, with the majority of drivers reporting poor visibility, including pole-sitter Norris, the FIA took a cautious approach and the start was suspended. Max Verstappen, a master in the wet, disagreed with the call but was a lone voice in criticising the decision. The race was delayed for 80 minutes before the sun emerged over the hills of the Ardennes Forest. Yet race director Rui Marques opted for the unorthodox rolling start, seemingly handing the initiative to Norris. TOP 10 – BELGIAN GRAND PRIX 1. Oscar Piastri 2. LandoNorris 3. Charles Leclerc 4. Max Verstappen 5. George Russell 6. Alex Albon 7. Lewis Hamilton 8. Liam Lawson 9. Gabriel Bortoleto 10. Pierre Gasly But Piastri, starting in second, crept up on the gearbox of his McLaren teammate and, at the start of the Kemmel Straight, the exact same spot where Verstappen overtook him in the shortened sprint race, pounced with a comfortable move and, in no time at all, opened up a sizable one-second lead in the rain. Norris complained about his battery pack failing him when it mattered most, but an overtake was inevitable regardless. After a dozen laps, dry tyres were the optimal rubber and Hamilton – positioned at the start in de facto 18th – gambled first, in an attempt to make up some quick positions. Race leader Piastri dived into the pit lane a lap later, given priority in the teammate stakes courtesy of his superior position, and after a slow stop for Norris, the Australian had a seismic six-second lead. 'No rush here,' said Norris's engineer Will Joseph, with a nod to the Briton going to the end of the race on his set of hard tyres. The other 19 cars all switched to mediums. Further back, Ferrari's Leclerc was performing admirably in staving off a challenge from Verstappen while Hamilton was flying up the field: by lap 15, he was seventh, trailing George Russell in fifth and Alex Albon in sixth. It would be the spots they would all finish in. The great unknown now was whether the medium tyre would stretch to the end of the 44 laps, particularly for race leader Piastri. With 10 laps to go, and backmarkers pitting for a second time, Piastri's lead of around eight seconds was diminishing at a rapid rate. But when told by his engineer that a second stop wasn't an option, the cool-headed Aussie responded: 'I'm happy with that.' As it played out, Piastri's confidence was justified, with a winning margin of 3.4 seconds, as his rival ran out of laps. And amid Norris's mid-season resurgence in the last two races, a crucial swing back in Piastri's direction, as this to-and-fro papaya title race takes another twist.
The Drive
15 hours ago
- The Drive
WRC Says It Delayed US Rally to 'Get It Right the First Time'
The latest car news, reviews, and features. The World Rally Championship published its 2026 schedule yesterday, with a disappointing, albeit unsurprising omission: a U.S. round was nowhere to be found. Fans were hoping to welcome the country's first rally in nearly 40 years on the upcoming calendar, but despite four test and training functions of various sizes dating back to 2023, including a demonstration event and candidate rally, the WRC and its partners haven't quite been able to get a Tennessee event over the line yet. Don't take that to mean that organizers have given up, though, as the sport's commercial body told The Drive that work is pressing on with a 2027 target. 'We have always had the objective for an important market like the USA that we have to 'get it right the first time,'' a WRC Promoter spokesperson said in a statement. 'With much work needing to be done to build the event from the ground up, we are being necessarily cautious towards the debut year. 'A planned Candidate Event in September will provide the best possible 'proof of concept' as well as a training opportunity for all of the U.S. rallying organisational community to learn about the standards of a modern WRC event, and this will provide an ideal evaluation platform. This is something we're working on with the FIA, ACCUS and ARA hand-in-hand,' the statement continued. The spokesperson added that more training events, beyond the September candidate rally, are planned at American Rally Championship events in the region throughout the second half of 2025. The last time the WRC held an official event in the U.S., they were running cars like road to the first U.S. WRC round since the 1988 Olympus Rally in Washington has been a long one, but it was always going to be. Planning rallies is significantly more complicated than taking over a racetrack and involves multiple organizations acting in symmetry. The statement above names some of them—the FIA and its U.S. liaison, the ACCUS, plus the ARA, which obviously knows the legal and logistical hurdles of rallying in this country the best. But there's also the local government, and representatives from the city of Chattanooga's tourism board actually traveled to Finland as COVID restrictions were winding down to better understand how this symphony of motorsports and nature should work when it's firing on all cylinders. Speaking of Finland, the WRC happens to be there this weekend, and the subject of a U.S. rally was covered during a media roundtable. Emilia Abel, the road sport director of the FIA, said that all parties agreed that the event would benefit from another year of preparation, and emphasized the importance that the local organizers are following 'exactly the same requirements as the FIA,' per Autosport . That said, Abel was firm in predicting that 2027 would indeed be the year. 'Yes, confident, 100%. We see some very good progress already over the last month. We see a dedicated team, so it's certainly on a good path.' Abel added that there has been 'no official application yet' for the September test, but it is nevertheless in planners' sights. Got tips? Send 'em to tips@
