28/01/2008
NEWS STORY
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In response to a number of incidents involving decisions - or lack of them - made by race stewards in 2007, the most infamous resulting in the fate of the World Championship remaining officially undecided until almost a month after the last race of the season, the FIA has decided to modify the system's structure.
Following the retirement of Tony Scott-Andrews, the FIA's former permanent steward, Alan Donnelly, who in 2003 was appointed the FIA's chief representative at all Grand Prix, will assume the role of non-voting administrator.
"Alan Donnelly will be there at all the races," Mosley told members of the media at a luncheon in London. "The idea is that he will be non-voting. There will be three stewards that vote but Alan's job will firstly be to make an interface between them and the race control and the press and so on.
"Secondly, it will be to try and keep some sort of momentum so that we get the decisions quickly," he continued, "there is no excuse for taking as long as it has."
Other than being overshadowed by the spy saga, the 2007 season was also seriously damaged in the eyes of many by a number of occasions when the stewards seemed incapable of making a decision within a sensible time frame.
Mosley said that Donnelly (seen here with Mosley), who in addition to his FIA role is also working with the International Olympic Committee on sports governance issues, will "keep the pressure on to get things done quickly".
Donnelly, a former Labour MEP for Tyne and Wear, became leader of the European Parliamentary Party in 1997. Two years later he resigned following an investigation by The Sunday Times. Although the investigation related to expenses there was concern at his involvement (as director) of Sovereign Strategy, a business consultancy employed to provide lobbying and representative services for the FIA.
There are some who believe that Donnelly is being groomed as Max' successor.