Max Mosley will give up FIA presidency – but he wants Jean Todt in charge
Jean Todt is Max Mosley's preferred choice of successor
Max Mosley’s latest promise to step down from the FIA presidency in October will inevitably be met with some scepticism.
After all, he’s already gone back on similar promises made in 2004, 2008 and earlier this year.
But this time we can be more confident that he actually is going, for two reasons. First, the teams are demanding it, and second, he has nominated a successor: Jean Todt.
At the Nurburgring there were rumours the teams were prepared to go so far as hand Mosley a pre-written resignation letter for him to sign. That didn’t happen, but it’s clear Mosley’s departure is partly at the teams’ behest.
The teams have also indicated their dissatisfaction the choice of Jean Todt as a potential successor. Mosley today confirmed Todt as his preferred choice, something which has been tipped to happen for a long time, especially since Todt conspicuously voiced support for Mosley during the sadomasochism scandal last year shortly before he left Ferrari.
There are a few reasons to be concerned with Todt’s name being linked with the FIA presidency.
First is the question of whether it is wise for the deeply unpopular incumbent to support a successor. It may be seen as an appointment rather than the democratic choice of the FIA constituents which Mosley has previous voiced support for.
Todt also risks being seen as Mosley’s puppet, allowing him to retain influence over the FIA presidency after leaving office.
Todt’s closeness to Ferrari is another concern. John Howett, president of Toyota F1 and vice-president of the F1 teams’ association, said last month:
From the teams’ point of view, we would like to see someone who actually is independent. Perhaps independent from any of us currently or historically. The federation covers much more than just motorsport. It is involved in worldwide touring and from the position of the manufacturers; they would wish to have somebody that was able to represent appropriately the requirements of worldwide motorsports as well as purely focusing on the sport.
John Howett
Mosley attempted to pre-empt this argument in his letter to the FIA endorsing Todt (PDF), arguing:
I must emphasise he would not in any way be a motor industry candidate. He would have no special relationship with his former company, Ferrari, nor with Peugeot Citroen, the manufacturer behind his former World Rally, Cross-Country and Le Mans teams.
Max Mosley
And questions may be asked about whether Todt has sufficient respect for the ‘sporting’ aspect of motor racing. While in charge at Ferrari he infamously presided over the fixing of the Austrian Grand Prix in 2002. And while running Peugeot’s rally effort in the 1980s, he decided which of two of his drivers should win the Dakar Rally using a coin toss.
The driver who benefitted from that decision was his future FIA president opponent: Ari Vatanen. One person who’s met Vatanen told me:
Ari told me personally a few years ago that [Todt] is the man that he has the most respect for in motor sport. Todt was the first person to contact him when he regained consciousness after his accident in Argentina. Todt basically told him he could take his time and not to worry as there would be a car waiting for him when he was fully recovered. That loyalty has stuck with Ari since then and they have an enormous bond and respect for each other.
The FIA president election is likely to be fought along these lines: Vatanen backed by the teams, Todt backed by Mosley and the supporters, mainly from the automobile clubs of smaller nations, which won him the vote of confidence during ‘spankgate’. The same group which Todt has reportedly been touring Africa lobbying support from this past week.
As one battle finishes, the next one is already coming into view.
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mani said on 15th July 2009, 13:47
Todt can’t become FIA president!!!
mp4-19b said on 15th July 2009, 16:09
oh,yes he can!! even you can ,if you are ready to lift up your right hand up by 45 degrees & perform the Deutscher Gruß & shout at the top of your voice “Sieg Heil MAX” !!
Pedro Andrade said on 15th July 2009, 21:25
LOL!
Tiomkin said on 15th July 2009, 13:48
Flap, flap, oink oink..
patrickl said on 15th July 2009, 13:52
The utter madness.
How on earth can they propose a person who is so strongly linked to one of the main contenders as the head of the regulatory agency?
mp4-19b said on 15th July 2009, 16:12
what do you mean by “THEY”?? there are no “THEY’s” in FIA. only “HE” & only “HE” can propose someone’s name. hope you got my point :)
Wesley said on 15th July 2009, 22:17
Isn’t this what dictators do…they appoint thier successors …right?
Ronman said on 16th July 2009, 8:07
No dictators usually procreate, teach their first son how to be as savage and cunning as possible, make them drink alligator or camel blood. and then when they croak pass it to the son, who will pretend to be elected by 99.99% of the people, and then hang the 0.01% that didn’t vote. i know it sounds morbid, but Max is a saint in comparison…
but as a saying goes, the best democracy is fair dictatorship…
Skova265 said on 15th July 2009, 13:54
thank ridins they are getting rid of him
TommyB said on 15th July 2009, 14:20
He said he’d give up FIA presidency before and he didn’t…
I won’t believe it until he has gone for good
DC said on 15th July 2009, 13:55
But that was perfectly legal and within the rules at the time, correct?
If you are unquestionably within the rules, then you are properly “sporting,” in my opinion. It is a team sport, and was more so before the rule against affecting the outcome of the race.
Now if you lie to the stewards… ;)
persempre said on 15th July 2009, 14:02
Totally agree on Austria, DC.
You can’t break a rule which doesn’t exist.
Maybe we should be moaning about every other example of team orders that preceded Austria 2002, as well.
There’d be quite a list going back to the start of racing.
Charlie said on 15th July 2009, 14:54
It wasn’t just team orders at Ferrari though, was it? There are plenty other allegations, and more to the point the fact that Ferrari seemed to have the FIA in its pocket on many decisions down the years…
persempre said on 15th July 2009, 15:06
That also depends on which media you read, Charlie.
David A said on 15th July 2009, 23:01
Yes, there were also team orders at Mclaren.
persempre said on 15th July 2009, 13:56
I know the English-speaking press played it as the teams saying they didn’t want Todt, Keith, but for those that read the Italian press there were many reasons given why Ferrari would not want Todt either. So Howett could well have been talking for FOTA as a whole.
Max’ letter reads in exactly the way we have come to expect of him. It opens with a list of his achievements; says he’s going (but will be staying in another role) & names a name which he knows full well will only stoke the fires of controversy.
Yes, Jean Todt has all the relevant experience but F1 & the FIA both need a calming influence for a few years.
Personally, I hope that Jean Todt will use some of the shrewdness he was shown to possess while at Ferrari & not stand.
dsob said on 15th July 2009, 15:18
For once, persempre, this isn’t a Mosley power play, or Mosley pulling a fast one.
All FiA Presidents move on to a FiA Senate post when they leave office, per Article…ummmm…17, I think it is.
And there are nine other people in the Senate. Hopefully enough to keep him in check.
persempre said on 15th July 2009, 15:30
Yes, I know they all move to the Senate, dsob. I think you misunderstand what I meant.
For me it was more of a “I’ll still be around to haunt you” statement in much the same way as when Max implied ‘Be careful what you wish for’ when he said he would go but we may not like his successor.
dsob said on 15th July 2009, 15:35
Ah, yes, I take your point now.
Rather the way the odour lingers after the f@rt itself is gone.
persempre said on 15th July 2009, 15:42
roflolol – exactly!
kmccauley said on 15th July 2009, 13:57
Mark my words, the FIA ‘election’ will make Iran’s election look like a fairly-contested triumph of democracy. The results are already in, folks.
theRoswellite said on 15th July 2009, 14:11
The Kink is dead, long live the….Kink. (version Next?)
I was worried that the passing of Maddening-Max might bring about a period of, dare I say it, stability within the FIA and F1 by extension; but now I see that the Gods seem to have chosen this particular body, and that specific office (throne?), as a way of punishing us all for sins we wish we had committed.
Ah…October, can it come soon enough?
IDR said on 15th July 2009, 14:12
Not very good references for Jean Tod. In fact, being recommended by MM is bad news for him.
FIA will need a “cooperative aproach” president, but this is something MM will never understand.
On the other hand, CVC is speaking loudly about Bernie declarations. Wouldn’t be great if MM and BE will not be in charge of F1 starting next season? Sometimes, dreams come true…
dsob said on 15th July 2009, 15:33
It would appear, according to Mosley’s letter to the FiA Senate, that Mosley will be gone for 2010.
As to Bernie, that remains to be seen. Apparently, according to CVC Managing Partner Donald MacKenzie, Bernie is safe-for now.
Although if CVC Board members Pater Brabeck and Sir Martin Sorrell are influential eough, Bernie may well yet be ousted.
Read more here.
Martin said on 16th July 2009, 0:19
I wont believe they will leave willingly. Neither Bernie or Max will give up the power. They can print whatever they want, but I wont believe it until I actually see it happen.
Aaron Shearer said on 15th July 2009, 14:18
I’m seriously hoping that Todt does not win the FIA Presidential elections. I know his credentials are more than fit for the Job, but I personally believe that he’ll just be as you said Keith, Moseley’s puppet.
Vatanen is the perfect candidate for the vacancy in October. He also has the credentials, nearly 10 years in the European Union and about 25 years as a rally driver.
I truly believe that if he is elected that he’ll the man for the Job. He’s a former driver himself and knows what the majority of sports need. Maybe he’ll even listen to some of the Drivers and Teams :-)
Tengil said on 15th July 2009, 14:42
Ding Dong the witch is dead, the wicked witch…
I hope that Todt inherits Moseley’s cabinet and loses the election, that way we get rid of the whole lot.
Any guess if Max will increase the power of the senate prior to going there?
Sei said on 15th July 2009, 14:57
It’s not over until the fat lady sings.
mp4-19b said on 15th July 2009, 15:50
& the champagne glass shatters!! i just hope there ia a fat enough lady out there to sing at the top of her voice in front of mosley, so that he shatters like the champagne peg. i’m sure he cannot withstand sound over 200dB. perhaps we could even amplify that singing. he’ll have a cardiac arrest atleast! :))
Scott Joslin said on 15th July 2009, 15:03
You know what, I am not so sure that Max really thinks that Jean Todd is the best candidate or not.
I think what he is saying by suggesting Todd as his successor is to try and get FOTA which is run by the Ferrari president to think ” well if Max is going and there is a chance the FIA is going to be run by an ex Ferrari employee – that would extremely appealing – Lets drop the breakaway rules and sign up to the FIA”
My personal feelings is for the purpose of objectivity and to be able to avoid any political doubt over the head of the sport having a conflict of interest, there should be a candidate who has not worked for any of the F1 teams – hard as it could be find one strong enough.
Kutigz said on 15th July 2009, 15:04
U know wat guys?! I’m dead sick tired of all this FiA, Mosley & Eccleston brouhaha! For how much longer are we (the real fans) going to stick up with this set-up?! I say – Lets end this game once & for all and go with a seperate championship!!! Enough is indeed Enough!!!
Martin said on 16th July 2009, 0:21
I would seriously support that move.
Bigbadderboom said on 15th July 2009, 15:08
I wouldn’t worry about an Italian bias from Todt, I think FOTA will now assume a better fasilitational role, and I don’t think it will be possible through governance to give any team an advantage. And I’ve read a few sources quoting Ferrari as not being best pleased anyway.
My concern, is as Keith points out, Max retaining an influence over the FIA. In his simplest form to me Max is a con-man, and I think this may turn out to be his biggest trick yet………”The Amazing Disappearing Spanky” yet we all know he’s there somewhere!!!!!!!