24/02/2011
NEWS STORY
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It is hard to imagine why anyone would decline a big bucks job working at the top of F1 for an unsalaried post running the FIA. However, this is precisely what FIA president Jean Todt did according to Tom Bower, the author of a new unauthorised biography about F1's boss Bernie Ecclestone.
Bower's biography, entitled 'No Angel' is launched today and is the third tome about Ecclestone's life. The first, entitled 'Bernie's Game' launched in 2003 with 'Bernie', authored by Susan Watkins - wife of F1's former medical chief Sid, following in December last year.
Bower's book extensively sources material printed in 'Bernie's Game' whilst including some surprising personal opinions about Ecclestone's relationship to his family and throwing in a few nuggets of news such as the revelation about Todt.
On page 352 the book reveals that prior to taking up his post as FIA president in 2009 "Todt...had recently been offered a senior job at Formula One in London by Ecclestone." It makes sense given that Ecclestone was one of Todt's biggest supporters prior to his election. "My money is on Todt," he told Pitpass' business editor Chris Sylt over lunch in the summer of 2009.
Ecclestone added that "whoever becomes president will appreciate the problems that Max has had" and that he expected Mosley to spend his retirement writing his memoirs.
They have yet to appear but Pitpass hears that the former president is working on a review of Bower's book for a well-known magazine. If anyone can pull out the best bits in the book surely it is him.