Sebastian Vettel offers telling response to FIA presidency suggestion

Sebastian Vettel has shot down suggestions that he could join the race to become the next FIA president.

The four-time world champion was asked about his interest in the role as Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s term draws to a close but suggested he was unqualified for the position.

Sebastian Vettel denies interest in standing for FIA presidency

The FIA presidency will be voted upon in December, with Ben Sulayem set to be challenged by Tim Mayer.

Mayer publicly launched his campaign over the British Grand Prix weekend, and is expected to announce further details of his manifesto imminently.

The American publicised his intentions shortly after news that Carlos Sainz elected not to contend.

Speculation had suggested the two-time world rally champion could stand in December’s election but ultimately decided it would be too great a distraction to his ongoing competitive career.

Without such incumbencies, the question of the presidency was put to Vettel, once identified by Ross Brawn as a potential future FIA president.

However, the 53-time race winner quickly dismissed the concept, suggesting he was unqualified for the role.

“I don’t know enough about the duties of an FIA president,” he told German publication Auto Motor und Sport.

“From a Formula 1 perspective, you only get to see one side of it. I have a little understanding, but not enough to assess it. It would be irresponsible to say now, ‘Yes, I can imagine doing it’. Ross Brawn can judge that because he had more contact with the FIA in his position and therefore knows what type of person is suited to this role.”

The question comes amid suggestions Vettel could return to F1 with Red Bull as something of a successor to Helmut Marko.

Vettel retired from Formula 1 at the end of 2022 and has been a somewhat frequent visitor to the paddock ever since.

The 38-year-old recently completed a course in the business of entertainment, media, and sports at Harvard Business School. He’s also championed a number of causes close to him, which resulted in the foundation of a bee farm at Suzuka, among other initiatives.

The German has shown himself to possess a sharp mind; he appeared on Question Time – a political Q&A television programme – in the United Kingdom in 2022, where he spoke well on environmental issues.

However, as Vettel himself identified, the role of FIA president does far more than oversee the Formula 1 world championship.

More on the FIA presidential race

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In addition to its role as the governing body for world motorsport, it has significant interest in the mobility space where, according to its website, it “strives to ensure safe, sustainable, affordable and accessible mobility for all global road users.” That sees it deal with 245 member organisations from 149 countries.

It is those members who vote on the incoming president, who must not only nominate themselves but also a cabinet of staff in a raft of other key positions.

Finding support within the membership caucus, key regions of which have publicly announced their support for Ben Sulayem, is therefore a critical element, with many of the clubs involved focused on grassroots development more than world championships.

Such is the task that Mayer has broken his manifesto into three elements: governance, mobility, and sporting. It is also why he is embarking on a world tour as he seeks to drum up support for his campaign.

The vote for the next FIA president will be held at the General Assembly, set to take place in Uzbekistan on December 12.

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