Carlos Sainz has replaced Sebastian Vettel as one of the new directors of the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA) at a time when the body will have to work harder than ever before to ease tensions between drivers and the President of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
The GPDA came into effect first in 1961 as an organization that represented the best interest of drivers, until it got banned in 1982. However, the tragic deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna at the 1994 San Marino GP revived the group, which has since become a lot more powerful.
Led by chairman Alex Wurz, the GPDA not only looks after the welfare of drivers in F1, but also works on promoting the sport and creating a better image among fans.
Sainz, 30, will have a big role to play in the coming months. As director, his job will be to represent drivers on the grid and communicate with authorities to address their concerns on safety, regulations, and the overall direction of the sport.
The fact that Sainz became the GPDA director ahead of the 2025 season means that other drivers in F1 trust him. However, he has big shoes to fill since there were very few drivers as vocal about positive change as Vettel was. The four-time world champion always advocated for what the F1 drivers’ union felt was right, and seldom shied away from voicing his opinion.
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However, Vettel retired from F1 in 2021 and although he held on to his spot as director until now, the GPDA held a meeting internally and conducted a vote among its members to pick Sainz as the German’s replacement.
“I am passionate about my sport and think we drivers have a responsibility to do all we can to work with the stakeholders to forward the sport in many aspects,” the Spaniard said.
Crucial role for Sainz
Sainz won’t be the only director of the GPDA. Wurz has three working under him, with George Russell of Mercedes being the other driver representative. The third person is Anastasia Fowle. Although she doesn’t drive, Fowle provides expertise from a business and legal perspective.
Sainz, Russell, and Fowle will begin their partnership at a crucial time when distrust between drivers, fans, and the FIA seems to be at an all-time high.
This comes in the wake of the governing body’s latest crackdown on swearing, which could see drivers fined up to $125,000 from this season onwards. Russell, as director, has already released a statement expressing the drivers’ unhappiness about this, and Sainz joining in will surely add to their influence.
The FIA, however, remains unfazed and seems unlikely to change its stance. As a result, tensions between the drivers and the FIA leadership could escalate in the coming months. Sainz may have to step in to mediate, working to resolve the situation and ensure that the drivers’ concerns are heard and addressed.
