Alex Wurz has declined to deny growing speculation that he could be a candidate to replace Mohammed Ben Sulayem as FIA president in this December's election.
Earlier this week, Osterreich newspaper reported that Wurz — a former Formula 1 driver and current co-director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association — is being urged by insiders to consider running. Other names reportedly in the mix include rally legend Carlos Sainz Sr. and former F1 team boss David Richards.
1996 world champion Damon Hill publicly backed Wurz's potential candidacy on social media, which appears to have sparked the fresh wave of speculation.
"This all came about because Damon Hill mentioned me in a tweet," Wurz said in Monaco. "I was talking about racing events, and Damon responded. He simply asked his fans the question — 'Next FIA president?'"
"Of course it's nice if Damon thinks I could take on the role of FIA president."
Tellingly, Wurz did not dismiss the idea outright.
"Damon brought that up, not me," he reiterated. "In any case, there has been no official announcement.
"At the moment, one third of my brain capacity is dedicated to my job, one third to commentating, and the rest is dedicated to my family."
Another name previously linked to the top FIA job — F1 Academy boss Susie Wolff — was reportedly ruled out due to a potential conflict of interest.
As for Wurz's rising profile, Susie's husband, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, gave a cautious but positive reaction.
"Let's wait and see who actually runs," Wolff said in Monaco. "Alex has done everything possible in motorsport, he knows everyone, and he is definitely an expert."
However, Wolff admitted: "I don't understand enough about politics at the FIA level."
