17/07/2009
NEWS STORY
Three months before the election for the FIA presidency, Ari Vatanen has criticised Max Mosley for publicly endorsing Jean Todt as his successor.
Talking to the Spanish newspaper AS, the Finn said: "Although I have criticised the FIA strongly, I have never aimed it at Mosley personally. But it is not good that a leader stays in power for a long time, and when that happens, the best thing is change. I represent that change, a new era with more freshness.
"On the contrary, Jean Todt represents the old era," he continued, "and it's not right that Max wants to impose a new leader and that he uses the power of the federation to support his campaign. The FIA is not a kingdom; it is a republic where leaders are chosen democratically."
Even before Mosley eulogised Todt it was well known that the former Ferrari boss was his man, and the FOTA teams are known to be opposed to the Frenchman for this very reason.