Carlos Sainz Sr has decided against standing in this year's FIA presidential election, saying he feels now is not the right time to seek the position.
The two-time world rally champion revealed back in May that he was considering standing against incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem in the election that is due to take place this December.
In a social media post on Wednesday, however, Sainz said that after evaluating the situation and speaking to many within the FIA he had chosen to not continue with his efforts.
As well as having come to realise how complicated FIA politics were, he also felt that pushing on with a bid to become president risked compromising his commitment to contest the Dakar Rally with Ford over the winter.
"I have worked hard these past months to understand in depth the situation at the FIA and the demands and complexities that come with such an important project," wrote Sainz.
"After a thoughtful reflection, I have come to the conclusion that the present circumstances are not ideal to set the grounds for my candidacy.
"Furthermore, 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."
Although deciding against a bid for the top job in the governing body, Sainz suggested it is something that could happen in the future - especially as he feels there is a need for change within the organisation.
"Despite stepping down from this race, my passion for serving and leading within the motorsport world hasn't changed and I still believe the organisation needs important changes, which I remain genuinely hopeful that will be tackled in the upcoming years," he added.
"Both racing and mobility have been my life and I will closely follow future developments with great interest.
"I will always support my sport and try to contribute in all meaningful ways to improve mobility for road users around the world.
"Finally, I want to sincerely thank you all for the messages of support, encouragement and advice I have received during the past weeks.
"They have reinforced my confidence to continue striving towards my present and future goals and I'm truly grateful."
Ben Sulayem unopposed?
The decision by Sainz to abandon his efforts to become president means that at present Ben Sulayem is the only candidate who has put himself forward for the election.
It is not clear yet though whether he will be unopposed, with other contenders understood to still be working behind the scenes to evaluate whether they want to stand.
Member clubs at the recent General Assembly in Macau voted in favour of changes to the FIA statutes that included a revised deadline for when election candidates needed to submit their bids.
Having previously been set at 21 days prior to the election, it has now been shifted to 49 days.
There is still however plenty of time in theory until the October 24 deadline for candidates to come forward ahead of the December 12 vote.
However, with a successful presidential bid requiring many months of chasing support, any serious opposition would need to step up imminently if they were to have any realistic chance of garnering proper backing.
