The Election Campaign For The FIA Presidency Begins
Written by George Katinger · March 26, 2008
There has been much speculation about the retirement of Max Mosley and his potential successor in 2010. Most presidential campaigns here in the states begin about two years before the actual election. I’d say the run for the FIA top office has begun.
The “retirement” of Jean Todt from Ferrari has been speculated as the preamble to his take over of the FIA presidency. All I can say to Ferrari fans is that I hope Dr. Vijay Mallya also decides to run. Or Mario Theissen, Flavio Briatore, Frank Williams, or Gerhard Berger. Or any of the other active team principals.
Talk about conflicts of interest! With the common perception that the FIA always seem to come down on major issues in support of Ferrari, how can the powers that be in the sport even consider a man who was a moving force of that very same team? Now I have to read a head line where Todt has promised to support his former team in any way he can?
“Sometimes, the tendency of people retiring is to criticise and say you shouldn’t have done that. That’s not my style - I want to support them and help as much as they need.”
Emphasis on “…help as much as they need.” What better “help” could Jean offer than running the entire sport? Imagine if it were Todt sitting as president last year, during the Great Spygate affair? What penalties and exclusions would have unfolded from the fertile mind of the former Ferrari sporting director? I shudder to consider what the consequences could have been!
The sad part is that if Jean were the former head of any other team I think he would bring a great understanding of the sport to the position of FIA president. His qualifications are obviously superb. But as a sitting member of the board of directors of Ferrari, and his continuing help of the team, I can’t possibly see how anyone but an unabashed fan of Ferrari could endorse his candidacy with a straight face. Talk about putting the fox in the hen house!
More to come, I’m sure.
autosport.com: Todt vows to help successor
Massa: Todt still important to Ferrari
Todt touted again as Mosley successor
Comments
Since I’m not “an unabashed fan of Ferrari”, I am frequently bashed, I can say this “with a straight face”. George, your wearing the tinfoil hat a little tight these days.
You can’t honestly think that anyone could be any worse than Maxine?
I’ve got some other sugestions for president.
How about dennis the menace, since we know how honest he is.
There is always Hillary, since we know how much experience she has.
How about a couple of engineers on gardening leave?
Better yet, let’s find another lawyer like Maxine.
We need someone who knows the sport, has the ability to assemble a good team and can handle the egos invovled.
The days of Ferrari being the favoured team are gone. The FIA has always been interested in getting as much exposure as possible. Having one team always winning gets less press, hence all of the anti-Ferrari rules. The new FIA darling will be LH for the next few years until the press has had enough of him, no matter what team he drives for.
Le Toad will follow the basic marketing 101 rules and set aside his prior employment history for the good of the sport.
So George, loosen up that tinfoil hat a few sizes, stay out of the moonlight for a few days and you’ll be feeling better in no time.
With a straight face I say this: Eddie Jordan for President!
The man’s a bit looney sometimes, but he knows what it takes to run a team… well, he did for a while anyway. He is a successful businessman, and knows the inner workings of F1. Also, he’s not a lawyer. He actually started his career behind the wheel before moving on to form various teams.
I’m not going to be dragged into a debate about the appropriateness of Todt, it’s simply too contested with tempers surely to flare on both sides.
Mo said:
“You can’t honestly think that anyone could be any worse than Maxine?” Ballestre was viewed as the savior of F1 when he was appointed, and Max has let us down as well. Impose term limits, that way no one can entrench themselves prior to losing their sanity and we have to live with the results.
“How about dennis the menace, since we know how honest he is.” Exactly my sentiments concerning Todt. One got caught allowing another team’s info to get used in his shop; the other allowed the info to get out. One may be dishonest, the other is undoubtedly incompetent! I wouldn’t want either to be running my business.
“We need someone who knows the sport, has the ability to assemble a good team and can handle the egos invovled.” Eddie Jordan or Jackie Stewart. Ferrari biased Frogs need not apply!
“The days of Ferrari being the favoured team are gone.” That statement indicates the location of your head in a dark, damp, none too pleasant smelling location!
“Le Toad will follow the basic marketing 101 rules and set aside his prior employment history for the good of the sport.” As far as LeToad is concerned, what’s good for Ferrari is good for the sport; hence his inability to be impartial, and his unsuitability for the post.
Lauda would be perfect as he has a no b/s approach to everything, Jackie Stewart would also be good (and it would give him another title, & another excuse to rub shoulders with royalty)
But aren’t we getting ahead of ourselves? Max or no Max, Bernie runs f1 (No not just the commercial aspects the whole shebang) Max has been doing his bidding for years. Of more concern is who will take the helm after Bernie steps down or kicks the bucket.
IMHO the best person for the job is David Richards…….but he is far too intelligent to take on the role.
Ok, lets make this official… I’m tossing my hat in the ring.
If for no other reason, to make George look foolish and prove once and for all someone can in fact be worse than Mad Max.
Peter, I view all of the press coverage of Todt “potentially” taking the FIA job as PR intended to get us ready for acceptance of the idea. These are not just random notions tossed off for consideration; I believe they are floated with the express consent of Bernie and his agreement of backing LeToad when the time comes.
And Marc, I’d give you (or Peter) my support in a heart beat. Anyone with an iota of common sense can’t possibly do worse than Max. And think of all the fun we’d have watching you guys work, and finally no one can make me look more foolish than I do all on my own.
Just ask mo.
“Jackie Stewart would also be good (and it would give him another title, & another excuse to rub shoulders with royalty)”
And he would put real meaning into the term “the Grand Prix circus is coming to town”.
Hey, since Marc is tossing his hat into the ring I will also toss mine in. We all know how impartial I can be.
George, I hope your feeeling better. I noticed it was a full moon and those tinfoil hats really do pick up alot more during this time.
Eddie Jordan would be a good choice. If he doesn’t get his way he’ll just put up a block wall and make everyone drive the long way around to get into the factory, very diplomatic.
Now we here Flavio Flva Flav is next in line for Bernice’s job.
So if we could get Jackie Stewart as a back up act there will be a fashion show instead of qualifying.
Jackie will just gift the pole to the favourite british driver, currently LH.
Flo Flava Flav will then make rule changes to prevent any driver without proper whining abilities to be banned from the sport.
Maybe we could get Eddie Jordan to design circuits and use his concrete blocks as chicanes until someone pays him a fortune for the 20 yards of track that he keeps in his pocket.
mo,
All our sarcastic takes aside, let me ask this:
Discounting ANYONE with a team affiliation within the last five years, who would be a good candidate for the FIA presidency?
Seriously, I can’t believe anyone who came up through the sport as a team member could be objective. Besides a suspect tendancy to favor the teams they like, how about persecuting the teams they DIDN’T like?
Any candidates beside Marc, Peter or yourself?
How about Emerson Fitipaldi? He seems a pretty reasonable guy and I think imparcial. No one could say he would help Massa for being Brazilian because he takes himself out of the races anyway.
Anyway, that’s my vote.
Niki Lauda, he has the business experience and the racing knowledge.
Being a former mclaren employee is a bit worrisome, but as I said before, we hope whoever succeeds maxine is hopefully going to do it for the love of the sport and set aside his past employment history. There is alot of tradition that has to be respected yet current marketing techniques upheld.
Hey, here’s another candidate. How about Phoney George?
He has shown brilliance in spending his family’s fortune. We know that the FIA must have a considerable bank account by now, so money shouldn’t be a problem. Phoney seems to be hard headed enough to deal with the huge egos in F1.
Geez, George, that is a hard question. Don’t you have anything easier for me to whine about today?
I can’t complain about your Lauda suggestion from the former McLaren team member perspective, as there is more than enough time separation since he last worked there. And wasn’t he a two time WC for Ferrari?
As far as something to whine about, it’s Friday, take the day off and come back strong next week. You’ll need all your energy to comment on the first “Chirl” race this weekend.
With a straight face I say this: Eddie Jordan for President!
The man’s a bit looney sometimes, but he knows what it takes to run a team… well, he did for a while anyway. He is a successful businessman, and knows the inner workings of F1. Also, he’s not a lawyer. He actually started his career behind the wheel before moving on to form various teams.
George, the more I think about it Le toad as FIA president would not be a problem. The FIA has ALWAYS favoured Ferrari ( & I don’t have the strength to type the long list of Ferrari bias) so if Todt we President at least it would be overt instead of covert.
Peter my friend, are you suffering residual effects from the bends from your latest scuba exploit? Can’t attribute this bout of open-mindedness re: LeToad to anything but some form of recently contracted malady.
See your physician and call me in the morning. :) :)
Once again George you have shown me the error of my ways, although I think calling me open-minded on the subject of FIA/Ferrari was a blow below the belt. :-)
I’m now in the re-compression chamber on oxygen, will surface for the next GP.