Comments on: Ari Vatanen: Exclusive interview on Mosley, budget caps and the F1 calendar

By: rere

rere — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:46:00 +0000

this man is seems good

By: Jay Menon

Jay Menon — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:27:13 +0000

Nice one Keith,

I like Ari, he looks like a nice bloke and he seems very sound unlike Max who not only looks like a loon, but behaves like one too.

Having said that, Jean Todt does have a lot more clout…remains to be seen if Ari can counter that.

By: neracer

neracer — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:45:16 +0000

I was backing Ari before I read this interview. He sounds like he has no concept of environmental issues and he knows when to say the right thing. I really enjoy F1 but motorsport has got to accept that it has to moderate it’s use of resources just like everyone else. I am slowly becoming despondent about F1 – lots of rich, corrupt people taking the sport out of everything. Cars have been invented to run on water years ago but not allowed to go into manufacture…because of money.

Good scoop though!

By: Kris

Kris — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:04:38 +0000

First of all, congratulations on bagging a truly mammoth interview.

I’m very pleased with what Ari is saying, it sounds like he’s promoting a largely common sense based approach and this genuinely appeals to me. I’ve nothing against Jean Todt, and to be honest I expect that a Todt presidency would still be an improvement over Max, but I’m just a little warmer to the idea of Vatanen getting it.

By: Ronman

Ronman — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:42:12 +0000

Great Work Keith, although I’m impartial in this FIA President Battle, i think Both candidates so far are supremely well qualified, and Ari sounds like a likable guy..

By: Arun Srini

Arun Srini — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:04:49 +0000

Well… he does seem to be a better choice for FIA president than a man who is sure to continue Mosley’s politics.

can you please back this statement with something substantial?

By: Brits on Pole

Brits on Pole — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:41:21 +0000

We think that the extent of Vatanen scepticism about the causes of climate change could be one of the most damaging things to happen to F1 for years. Its public image is bad enough already, and this would wreck it completely.

Sorry and all, but in this respect he is a terrible choice. Trouble is, Todt’s a terrible choice too.

What now? Time to announce your candidacy, Keith?

By: Maksutov

Maksutov — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:20:25 +0000

I am happy Ari is showing great attitude and intelligence to be the right person for the job. However I fear that all this will be for nothing since the voting system itself is corrupt. FIA should allow all members of the motor sports involved to which the FIA governs, to have a say in voting.

What I dont understand is how can a governing body of a motor sport not allow all members of the involved motor sports to have a say in who is to be the president of their governing body!? Clearly a corrupt system. That is like having a system that enables only the business man, or the parliament members to vote on who gets to be the president of an entire country. Just imagine that.

By: Jared404

Jared404 — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 05:21:47 +0000

I hope Vatanen gets the job – I like his attitude to the sport, and the business.

By: snoopy

snoopy — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 00:50:03 +0000

Heh is so nice to be finnish lol.

Ari would be good president of FIA because he has normally finnish attitude…calm and feet on the ground. Same you have seen in Kimi but he is much more shy and not sure about his english skills.

Because Ari has been in politic in long time as well he knows that negotiation in keay word not just go and tell people what to do. He also understand that without fans there would not be F1.

Unfortunatelly FIA voting is not about biggest autosport countries…small countires who even never have not seen F1 cars have as much as say than excample Germany or UK or USA. That is the way how Max was able to keep his seat after his private life scandal. Todt just need pick up all samll countries and he will be president. Reality is that by small amount of money they would vote even Donald Duck because its not really matter to them who is in FIA.

But good luck to Ari anyway.

By: Pingguest

Pingguest — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:18:44 +0000

It has been told that Ferrari are against Todt as FIA-president.

By: KersNotMe

KersNotMe — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:55:56 +0000

You have my vote! You’re the man and not a disciple of the Mad Max… I hate Todt and every team except Ferrari, can’t agree that he’s the man for the job… Ferrari would continue to me treated in a special way… like now behind the curtain….

By: Pingguest

Pingguest — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:50:26 +0000

To me, Ari Vatanen sounds very reasonable to me. Hopefully he’ll be elected and be able to bring back purity in the sport.

By: Striay

Striay — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:37:06 +0000

Instead of Ari, why don’t we get Keith to be the new FIA president . Great Job Keith!!!

By: Arun,India

Arun,India — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:28:49 +0000

The very thing that Ari is giving interview to a fan-site itself shows that he is going to be pro fancentric. I would any day prefer him to Joan Todt.Me being a ferrari fan wouldn’t mind Todt but me being a F1 fan will any day want Ari.

By: donwatters

donwatters — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 13:32:17 +0000

The best part about Ari as FIA President would be his obvious dedication to being fan-centric. I think that would be a fine thing…finally. While he doesn’t have control over where the events are held, or what the venues have to pay, his overt support for, and understanding of the importance of North American events can only help put pressure on B. Eccelstone to do the right thing.

By: Deemac

Deemac — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:16:51 +0000

Proper job, my handsome!

By: Gianecchini

Gianecchini — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 09:59:59 +0000

Hi Keith !
Well done ! you´re doing a great job with your F1fanatic site. I´m impressed,you´re brilliant !
I hope Ari Vatanen will be FIAs new president,he seems to be diplomtic,flexible,fair and strong as a person.

By: Keith Collantine

Keith Collantine — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 09:13:31 +0000

Can anyone imagine a Jean Todt Q&A on F1 Fanatic?

I’ll do my best…

By: Keith Collantine

Keith Collantine — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 09:10:27 +0000

Thanks for all your kind responses guys, glad you liked the interview. You might enjoy a bit of the back-story to it:

I’m on holiday in Cornwall at the moment, we’re staying in a cottage overlooking the sea, it’s absoutely gorgeous. We arrived yesterday and were in the process of lugging our belongings up a fairly steep hill when the ‘phone rang. “Hello Ari!…”

So I plonked myself down in the middle of this alley, grabbed a notepad out of my bag, rummaged around for a pen, threw away the first one because it wasn’t working, and began scribbling furiously. I have no idea what we talked about for the first couple of minutes while I got my stuff together.

I spent the interview sat on the floor while bemused Cornish locals wandered past. Meanwhile my girlfriend found our cottage and left me to it! I paid for dinner last night to make up for briefly abandoning her.

Anyway, happily I was able to get the interview written up, though you can see I left out the bit where Ari asked why he could hear seagulls in the background…