FIA president appears to be preparing to dismiss Sainz's proposal.

      The president of F1’s governing body is once again in the spotlight for negative reasons. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, a figure becoming increasingly polarizing, is expected to face competition in the upcoming FIA presidential elections in December from Carlos Sainz's legendary rally driver father, Carlos Sainz senior.

      "He is the best possible candidate for this position," stated Dutch race driver Jeroen Bleekemolen to the Dutch magazine Formule 1. "Sainz fully understands how the sport operates. Recently, there has been considerable political turmoil, to put it mildly," he added.

      In fact, Ben Sulayem has acted on his commitment to modify his controversial new driver behavior regulations. Among other adjustments, the FIA announced in a statement that the "New guidance will significantly lessen the maximum penalties for drivers by 50 percent." Additionally, swearing in the cockpit, categorized as a "non-controlled environment," will be addressed in a more lenient manner.

      "As a former rally driver, I understand the wide range of emotions experienced during competition," Ben Sulayem remarked. One interpretation of the situation is that Ben Sulayem is concerned that a potential candidate like Sainz, aged 63, could quickly gain favor leading up to the December elections.

      It's particularly significant that reports are emerging indicating that Ben Sulayem is "attempting to secure his re-election by modifying the statutes and eliminating potential challengers early on." This is the perspective shared by Joel Lischka from Auto Motor und Sport, who noted that "a classified document" has been leaked from the FIA’s Paris office.

      Lischka elaborates on the proposed changes to the statutes: "Anyone aiming for the presidency must not only declare their candidacy but also reveal their entire team sooner than before. This could theoretically provide FIA commissions more time to find justifications for rejecting possible opponents."

      Moreover, the German publication notes that another modification to the FIA statutes’ ethics guidelines could disqualify Sainz senior due to a conflict of interest, considering that his son, who is 30 years old, is an active F1 driver. These proposed changes might be voted on at the FIA General Assembly in June. "Whether enough dissenting votes can be mobilized remains uncertain," Lischka concluded.