F1 links: Mosley wants Todt for president

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Max Mosley is a one-man-band at the moment, determined to force the issue and not back down to the teams in the row over the 2010 rules. But are they listening?

Max Mosley about-turn clears path for Jean Todt

"Todt and Mosley have had a close working relationship ever since Todt was made Ferrari team principal. For instance, last year after revelations about Mosley’s private life in the News of the World, there was a campaign among the teams to take action at the Canadian Grand Prix in an attempt to force him to resign. The plan foundered on one team refusing to go along with it — Ferrari, represented by Todt."

They danced on my grave too quickly: Max Mosley hits back at the Formula One rebels

Max Mosley: "They made the mistake of dancing on my grave before I was buried. It's no good the teams getting a PR agency to claim I am dead and buried when I am standing here as large as life. I am under pressure now from all over the world to stand for re-election."

The Brits on Pole All-Star League

Essential page for British motor racing fans showing how the different drivers compare.

Donington rebuild to begin in August

"Gillett signed the final legal documents last week giving him the go-ahead to begin work on revamping the famous track, and in an interview with Eurosport he explained that Donington was just waiting until its two summer blue riband events – the World Superbike round (this weekend) and the British MotoGP – had taken place before the diggers moved in."

These are links I’ve bookmarked using Delicious. You can see my Delicious profile here.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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38 comments on “F1 links: Mosley wants Todt for president”

  1. I`m not so sure that it`s Todt that Max actually wants. This may be just another tool in his campaign against di Montezemolo or may be just the press leaping to conclusions.
    Yes, once upon a time it looked like he was lining him Todt as his successor but there are now other possible candidates who are much closer to Max in their beliefs. They would also be described as not being independent by the teams.
    Personally, I don`t think the FIA President needs to be from F1 at all. Maybe someone from one of the other series or from the motoring side would be the best answer.

    As to Max` latest outburst, he just makes himself look more & more unhinged & desperate.
    He demands apologies whilst believing he can be as insulting as he likes.

    1. FOTA are pretty much against someone like Todt becoming FIA President.He shows all the wholemarks (according to ‘her indoors’) of being another ‘Max’.

      As to Max` latest outburst, he just makes himself look more & more unhinged & desperate.
      He demands apologies whilst believing he can be as insulting as he likes.

      I haven’t yet seen him weild a knife in quite the same way that Luca has though.LOL

  2. I’m not sure i believe the rumours about max wanting Todt to take over. But it has been a rumour ever since he stood down as Ferrari Team Principal that Todt probably would stand for FIA President.
    I am definitely against Todt for FIA, nobody closely involved with F1 should be President in my opinion. And i believe Todt is more power hungry that Mosley.

    1. And i believe Todt is more power hungry that Mosley.

      I`m suprised. What makes you say that, scunnyman?

      His strength has always lain in his ability to pick the right people for the job & then let them get on with it which is exactly what he did when he built the “dream team” at Ferrari. He`s a fairly quiet man, who doesn`t seek the limelight in the way many others do. He doesn`t suffer fools gladly but power hungry wouldn`t be a way I described him.

  3. I would also say that If Todt does become President of FIA then we will get all the same crap we have gotten with Mosley and maybe worse.
    Definitely not a transparent governance of the sport the fans and FOTA want. And does anyone believe Todt would uphold any of the agreements FOTA have made to stay if F1.

    I say because of the possibility of the continuation of F1 the way it is now, be it with Mosley or Todt then FOTA should juts get on with a breakaway NOW!!!! and save some sort of sport we fans want.

    We could be at this same point in 3 years or things may just potter along for another 20 years or so.

    1. Personally I agree that there is doubt Mosley wants Todt as president. But I must say, from what I know I doubt Todt would be anything like Mosley..

      Maybe Todt is little demanding?, I personally dont know of any wrong doing on his part in the past – maybe I have missed it, I do know however that Todt is very quite and can be understanding and certainly a caring individual, but im not gonna rest my case on that I need to learn more about him. Perhaps you could tell me what drives you to that conclusion?

      1. I am only going by several reports over the years that have pointed to the teams disliking him and finding it difficult to work with. possibly due to his close relationship with Mosley. And reports that if Todt had still been at the helm of Ferrari then FOTA would never have gotten off the ground. Also i have heard , but not verified that Luca did not get on with Todt either.

  4. I don’t believe for one millisecond that Max Mosley ever intended to step down as President. He is there until he dies. Just the events of this week have made him more determined than ever to crush FOTA.

    1. I agree.

  5. max mosley is a nutter. why does he want todt as prez??
    wasn’t todt luca’s man until 2007? mosley is at his height of lunacy. first he made foes with ron & now with luca. man this idiot is out of his mind. ron must be secretly laughing his you know what off somewhere in woking. FIA aka Ferrari International Assistance has had a fallout with itself!!!! this is the height of i dunno what to call it, FIA & ferrari fighting among themselves? never in my dreams did i think that those two will be at loggerheads. the point of existence of FIA according to me was to assist ferrari walk away with driver & constructor championships & to witch hunt mclaren & now ferrari is fighting with its sister organization the FIA? no wonder the state of F1 is in shambles. good on mclaren that they’ve kept their nose out of all this nonsense. let the hyenas fight over the piece of rotten meat.

    1. If McLaren had kept out of this they wouldn`t have joined FOTA. Every team boss has spoken including Martin Whitmarsh.
      The reason most of the flak is flying from Max to di Montezemolo is because, as has always been the case, Max is trying to pick Ferrari off from the other teams. He knows that Ferrari are the key to which way the wind blows. That is why the FIA have always been so keen to keep them on their side across the years.
      People can blame Ferrari for taking ‘perks’ but anyone who thinks it through will see that the real blame should lie with the FIA. As the governing body it should be down to them to ensure fairness. It should not be down to the teams.
      If your boss wanted to pay you more than his other staff to ensure you stayed with the company you might be noble & refuse but odds on you`d take the money & say “Thanks”.
      It has only been since the teams have started to work together (something Max & Bernie have fought against for years) that they have been able to start to break down the divide & conquer.
      At least we now know what deals have been done with Ferrari. The mistake is to think that it`s only Ferrari deals have been done with.

  6. If the FIA is responsible for soooooo much outside of f1, as Mosley said, why must they pick someone so close to f1. Just a thought.

  7. As others are pointing out, Todt may be a red herring, although I would question the attacks on Mosley, from a body that has known him long enough to know better. Are Fota, and their allies being provocative for ,as yet, unknown reasons? This saga has the makings of a book entitled ‘Max..a life…’

  8. Doesn’t Todt already have a post within the FIA? I thought he had been appointed to something not long after he left Ferrari? Apart from playing tourist in Thailand of course…. I think he is going to wait quietly in the background until Max has blown himself and Luca out of the picture, then step in with a wave and a smile to take control.
    It’s amazing how quickly old Max has rebounded from the original FOTA win, and is lining his opponents up for a thrashing (sorry) all the way until October. Although I now agree that a breakaway series is not going to happen in the short term, but it wouldn’t surprise me if we have a few teams missing from the last race of 2009 in Abu Dhabi……

    1. Jean Todt is the President of eSafetyAware which is supported by the FIA Foundation.
      He was a founder member of ICM for which the Race of Champions help to raise funds.

  9. I think the structure of the FIA should change so that it still has a general president but then it has people who are responsible for each motorsport. Of the prospective candidates to do these roles I think they should be independent, so this would rule out Jean Todt and other people with strong connections to current F1 teams such as Ron Dennis.

    1. Problem is that, because Ferrari ave been there since the very beginning, there is nobody who has been associated with F1 who is truly independent. Everyone has either been on Ferrari`s side or on the side of one of their competitors.
      Much easier to pick someone outsde of F1 altogether & let them rely on the F1 Commission & the various working groups to advise them on F1 matters.

      1. Is there no one to rid us of this annoying prelate?

        Actually, I’d support Ron Dennis. I think he played by both the letter of the law and the law of the land. When he was busted playing by the law of the land…he paid up!

        As much as I love Ferrari, I’d never support Todt…

        Much easier to pick someone outsde of F1 altogether & let them rely on the F1 Commission & the various working groups to advise them on F1 matters.

        I can’t really see someone outside of F1 running the show.

        Got any suggestions?

        1. As much as I love Ferrari, I’d never support Todt…

          I merely interested … Why?

        2. I think after events of a couple of years ago that Ron Dennis would not be looked on any more kindly than Todt.
          I`ve seen the suggestions by the media that Todt & Dennis could fight it out for the Presidency. The press may love the idea but I don`t think anyone who loves F1 would want that to happen.
          No, much better to have someone completely outside of F1.
          No element of “favouritism” could then be used by those more interested in conspiracy theories & headlines than in motor racing.

          1. I don’t want either fighting for the presidency of FIA. I agree on the idea of some as independent as possible. Saying that i have heard good thing about NICK CRAW. and Being an American he might be good for euro us relations and help get F1 to work in USA.

  10. I think that generally the FIA has become too big and too political for its own good. Although it may be necessary to have an international umbrella organisation to control motorsport, and to encourage good safety practices and so on, is there really a need for it to be able to force issues which are not necessarily relevent or practicle for those doing the actual racing?
    If there is going to be a new vision coming from the FIA down to the teams in F1 and other motorsports, any chosen leader or spokesman:
    a) needs to know what they are talking about
    b) cannot expect agreement from everybody just because it sounds good
    c) needs to have the trust of everyone involved in racing from the pit-crew to the stewards
    d) needs to be seen to take more interest in the racing and talk to fans, pit crew etc, and actually be seen to watch the race and not hide in hospitality (or an office in Paris)
    So I suppose I am kind of angling for an ex-driver or team principle to fill the job spec. However, as the FIA covers all kinds of motorsport, they do not have to be anyone directly connected to F1 or its manufacturers.

    1. I agree 100% DGR-F1.

      1. How can anyone who cares about F1 not totally agree with DGR-F1.

        All his points are just common sense.

        so 100% from me too.

        1. If we can see its common sense, then why can’t the FIA??

          1. Because DGR-F1 the FIA is pretty much full of Max Mosley’s. And i’d say the mototsports clubs too.

  11. hmm interesting. Maybe Ari Vatenen will be the one then. But I somehow feel that Nick Craw would be the best.

  12. Garcia says Mosley could run for re-election

    The worst thing you can do with an animal is leave him wounded

    lol – Oh dear. Back-handed compliment that.

    I’m not ruling out running for president of the FIA,” he said. “I believe Max Mosley has a lot of support and I would think twice before running against him, because I don’t want to take any risks that may damage Spanish motorsport. Above all, I’m the president of the Spanish Federation and I have to defend Spanish sport.”

    Says it all, eh?

    1. Says it all, eh?

      And….

      Speaking to Spanish radio station Onda Cero, Gracia said: “I don’t support Max Mosley to the death, but I do support respecting institutions, and what Luca di Montezemolo has done was show a lack of respect to the FIA and the World Council.

      “It wouldn’t surprise me if Max Mosley runs for re-election. The worst thing you can do with an animal is leave him wounded, and what Luca di Montezemolo has achieved is to re-activate Max. You can’t dance on someone’s grave before he’s dead.”

      …..says quite a bit too.

      1. Yes, he thinks di Montezemolo mispoke.
        I find it more worrying that he thinks standing against Mosley could damage Spanish motorsport.

        1. I find it more worrying that he thinks standing against Mosley could damage Spanish motorsport.

          I don’t think that he meant it in a way that Mosley would punish Spanish motorsport if he stood against Mosley (probably not a good idea to say that on radio).Probably more likely that he thinks that he’s doing a good job and why let someone else ruin all the good work if I become President.

          1. Well, I`m happy to leave it to the other readers here to form their own opinions on that.

            You really do have a downer on Ferrari, don`t you?
            I`m beginning to wonder if I should ask you how Ash is?

      2. I can see some of the other FOTA members not being too happy with Luca right now.LOL

        Phrases like ‘Oh,way to go Luca!’,but maybe not quite so nicely worded will be eminating from various F1 HQs across the country.LOL

  13. If anyone is willing to consider Todt as the next FIA president they may as well toss Ron Dennis’s hat in the ring as well.

    Crazy you say? Exactly my point, NO ONE who actively ran an F1 team should be considered. If you really want a long shot throw in Paul Stoddardt’s name as well.

    All of these guys are focused on winning their points of views, a FIA president should be accomplished in the art of compromise, brokering differences and providing positive leadership as oppposed to mindless name calling ala our current boy Max.

    Who fmeets those requirements? I honestly don’t have a clue, but I’m sure there are plenty of qualified individuals out there.

  14. Over the years, many (if not all, in one way or another)who have stood against Max have been punished for their transgressions. (Tyrell, and wasn’t there some truck racing series that got the ax, and others). I think Garcia meant EXACTLY that he fears Spanish motorsports being punished if he spoke out against or opposed Mosley.

    As to respect, has FiA respected it’s member organisations, the teams, or the fans, by leaving Mosley in office when he has consistently displayed disrespect of others and an apparent total lack of regard for the sport itself? I say if you expect respect you must first give it.

    I agree that Luca made a mistake. Not in what he said, or in saying it. His mistake was not finishing Mosley, in not drumming up the proper support to have Mosley removed from office. Luca di Montezemolo is no stranger to power brokering, and no stranger to ramming through what he wants in the corporate worlds. One wonders why he didn’t finish Mosley when he had the chance. A momentary lapse into compassion? Or perhaps it was part of the deal, to allow Mosley to go gracefully in October–and if that is the case, then Luca and Max both sh@t on the deal after the fact, so let’s just call it even and get on with it.

    As to the office of FiA President, I believe many of the comments here are right, for various reasons. That office should, I say should, be one primarily of administrtation, not requiring an intimate knowledge of F1, or of any motorsport for that matter.

    DGR’s points are good ones, though I disagree that it should be someone from F1. Persempre makes the point that any future President could avail himself of advice from any number of fronts, and put together the decision most beneficial to the sport based on the input.

    Therefore, I propose the office be open only to those candidates that can demonstrate there is no conflict of interest. And that pretty much leaves out anyone with ties to F1, past or present. Perhaps someone from a different motorsport would be okay–I can’t see a former NASCAR executive, for example, being unduly swayed by any F1 influence.

    Although, what I feel would be best for F1 is that a Sporting Power once again be created for F1. World Rally has it’s own governing body, if I recall correctly, as do other racing disciplines. Why is F1 governed directly by the Office of the President of the FiA? Rhetorical question, that, as we all know the answer: Mosley dissolved FISA, which used to govern F1, shortly after taking office in 1993.

    He wasn’t successful as a driver, or as a team owner in F1. I suppose the only way he could feel victorious in F1 was to rule it day by day.

    It’s time for feudalism to be banished from F1 and have it returned to a stable democratic governance.

  15. MAX MOSLEY SECRETLY WORKS FOR FOTA
    It’s the only logical explanation; Mosley has created a situation where the almost psychotically competitive F1 teams have united whereas for as long as anyone can remember they couldn’t even agree whether to have milk or cream in their coffee at meetings. Plus not content with just herding these cats MM makes them stronger and more resilient everyday by coming out with some new bizarre contradictory comment or statement that welds the FOTA teams into a hardened unit. Why? Because he has been hired by Ron and Jean to dismantle the FIA – and what an excellent job he is doing with that – and then they can run F1 with the manufacturers.. I rest my case..

  16. Footfarmer, I have previously considered myself the king of the conspiracy theorists, but I proudly cede my crown to you.

    Excellent comment!

  17. It’s going to take some work but I’ll do whatever I can to get them elected as president.

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