Next FIA president? Next FOM CEO?

[tarzoon]

I really enjoyed reading the "Jean has relevant knowledge and experience while you do not."

I suppose Mosley had all the experience before becoming president. He did something good, IMO: improve safety. Unfortunately that only occured after Senna died.

This election is getting dirtier than ghost hunter's pants (for southpark fans!)

[jamsbong]

Todt is likely gonnabe winning after much praise from Mosley and Schumacher. Ari does not appear like he knows this political game. If one wish to be president, you've got to have a clever mind in politics.

I'm not saying I preferred Todt over Vatanen or that Politicians are good but rather just stating that Todt is in his winning ways. Anyway, I thought this election is not open to public and thus my opinion is irrelevant.

Good luck to both of them.

[myurr]

If one wish to be president, you've got to have a clever mind in politics.

That one short sentence sums up all that is wrong with the FIA, a supposedly sporting body, and why I pray to the powers that be that Vantanen wins.

[Ciro Pabón]

WB, xpensive, cut it out.

[lebesset]

I note that ari has started a court case in france about the fairness of the election
to me it seems that the best way would be to disqualify todt as what has been done cannot be undone

but , as anyone who has even lived in france will tell you , the chances of a french judge ruling to disqualify a frenchman is exactly zero , unless he wants to lose his job of course

chauvin was , of course , a frenchman

[WhiteBlue]

It looks like the thread has run half its course with Jean Todt's election to FIA president. Joe Saward, one of the direct observers had this to say:

Jean Todt’s victory in the FIA election was pretty much as expected, although there were a few who, perhaps from wishful thinking, managed to convince themselves that Ari Vatanen would sneak up and win. That did not happen. There were lot of headlines, conspiracy theories and complaints but in the end the FIA rejected Vatanen’s ideas of “democracy”.
........
I have been convinced for some time that Jean Todt was going to win by a landslide. Why? Because his campaign was much more convincing than that of Ari Vatanen, who seemed to spend his time slagging off the FIA, the system, Max Mosley and Jean Todt. You do not win elections with negativity. You win elections with convincing ideas and careful politicking.

http://joesaward.wordpress.com

This sums it up rather nicely I thought. The electorate has decided and the people opposed to the past and present FIA leadership will have to accept that the organization does not reflect their view. As Max Mosley predicted Vatanen lost big time and now it will be Jean Todt's task to re integrate the clubs that voted against him. This will be quite a big task as there are strong forces in mobility like the AAA and the ADAC who want to take their business away from the FIA.

Anyway, the FIA job is sorted and now the focus will turn to the sucession of Bernie Ecclestone. That may be a few years off, depending of his health. In true fashion of a king or war lord he seems to be rather fixed on the idea to run F1 as his personal fiefdom to the day of his death. Perhaps he was toying with the idea to pass it one day to Flavio Briatore and this is why both men are fighting the WMSC verdict of a life ban. The outcome of the french law suit will give further hints. It is noteworthy that Briatore does not complain about the ban itself. He only opposes the indefinite nature.

[mcdenife]

WB I agree Joe Saward is right but what he is saying was that vatenens approach was wrong. That is quite different from saying the issues he raised were not valid or that he is wrong to challenge the FIA, the system and by extenision Todt, ie that the system is wrong in that incumbent either stays in power as long as he likes or when he decides to go, decides who his successor will be. Vatenen lost but showed he was right, at the very least with regards to fairness. Vatanen was always going to lose. There was no way he was going to win with system and structure the way it is. Most people were not against Todt per se but Mosley in particular and admitedly his camapaign was more convincing but then he had the luxury that everything else was stacked in his favour with regards to "careful politiking". I also agree with this (also from Joe Saward):

I have a vague suspicion that the current FIA big cheese in F1 circles – Alan Donnelly – will have a lesser role in the future as he was very closely associated with Max Mosley and this will probably count against him now.

I agree because I think Max will find he has been had in that Todt is not his chosen but Bernie's....time will tell but watch this space, when money talks, bullcrap walks, the FIA is very dependent on its income from F1. So WB my argument in this thread was never about who was the better candidate or which had the better campaign. For me it was a forgone conclusion that Todt would win as has happened. But I have a question for you and I hope you will answer honestly, if at all; given the current FIA presidential election prodedures, do you think it is possible for anyone to win the FIA's presidency against either the incumbent or his 'sanctioned' successor?

[ISLAMATRON]

Mosley did it against Balestre, did he not? HAve the election rules changed much since then?

[WhiteBlue]

The procedures changed with regard to the requirement of nominating a team prior to the election. It surely is an instrument introduced by Max Mosley to make it more difficult to overturn him. I am convinced that a "bad" president would nevertheless be overturned regardless of procedure.

The FIA electorate like all such bodies will primarily vote to their individual advantage. It does not hit them in the pocket if the FIA president prefers to get his rocks off with men or by mutual spanking and flogging. They would probably have a great deal more concern for a man who did not show improvements to the well being of the clubs and motor sport. The general perception in the FIA seems to be that Mosley did a good job to let the clubs prosper and F1 as well. So the first condition to over turn him was never met. Had Mosley been a whimp and a lazy guy without achievements his recommendation would not have made a difference.

In my view the FIA also needs to look at a more representative formula for the voting weights. The huge memberships of large European and American clubs are seriously under represented. Unfortunately theese things can never be righted in an election campaign. A president with sound moral compass over electoral tactics will be needed to rectify this issue.

[Ciro Pabón]

Now that Mosley is out I want to quote this:

"Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
Martin L. King

I find a little puzzling Mr. Saward's opinion. What was the positive part in Mr. Todt campaign? Keeping your mouth shut doesn't seem truly positive.

Anyway, I have the feeling that the gallery is thinking: better Claudius than Nero, isn't it?

For example, this is what's said of Claudius: "... potential enemies did not see him as a serious threat to them. Despite his lack of political experience, Claudius proved to be an able administrator and a great builder of public works. His reign saw an expansion of the empire, including the conquest of Britain."

Yeah, sure. We'd wish that part included some day into Todt's Wikipedia biography...

[mcdenife]

WB wrote:
In my view the FIA also needs to look at a more representative formula for the voting weights.

Absolutely right. And I will add that the system may not be right or fair, but crucially, it must be seen to be right. Mr Vatenen has just demonstrated it is almost impossible to change a system from 'without'.

Ciro, once again you 've done it, articulating so much but saying very little. Most of is see and get the argument but struggle to articulate it. consequently and in frustration, we find ourselves either "attacking the poster" or simply saying nothing, which is even worse.

[Giblet]

I think Todt will do a better job than Mosley, or at least be a little less like him, in a positive way.

Mosley hasn't been directly involved in a modern racing team. Todt has. I think he will be somewhat more sympathetic to the needs of the F1 teams.

Todt is a great manager. Hard to sit on the commercial and sporting side of Ferrari like he did for a time. He is somewhat less of an unknown variable, and we have been expecting him to fill the seat since before he left Ferrari.

Besides, I think anyone who can wear a knit sweater all year round, in just about every climate, can take the heat of the FIA post.