04/09/2014
NEWS STORY
FIA president Jean Todt has been advised to cancel the forthcoming Russian Grand Prix for fear of the sport sending the wrong message.
The advice came from Ari Vatanen, who fought a bitter campaign against the Frenchman for the FIA presidency in 2009, but who has since resolved his differences with him and even been appointed to head the FIA's Closed Road Commission in addition to his role as president of the Estonian Autosport Union.
It is understood that personally Todt is against the forthcoming Grand Prix in Russia but that as president of the FIA his "hands are tied", he is unable to take a stance - a situation that echoes the sport's governing body's dithering over Bahrain a few years back.
However, the Frenchman is being advised by Vatanen who is urging him to make a stand as F1 heading to Russia at this time will be seen by many as condoning events in Ukraine and eastern Europe.
However, whilst Todt remains silent, following Bernie Ecclestone's mantra that 'F1 doesn't do politics' (huh!), Vatanen has spoken publicly of his opposition to the race going ahead.
"Jean knows about my comments, we spoke about it," the 1981 World Rally Champion told the Daily Telegraph. "We are friends. I think he partly shares my view. It is true that his hands are tied. I can say things much more openly and freely than he can.
"I'm not saying he agrees with everything that I say, but he has a much more reduced room for manoeuvre," he added. "He cannot do big moves one day to another. Any movement by people starting to talk about it and then it can spread and lead to action."
For Vatanen, a former member of the European Parliament, the choice is simple.
"Do we support the regime who is masterminding this bloodshed? Or do we say this is not correct?" he says. "It would send a message of acceptance if we went to Russia. It would say we condone, effectively, maybe not explicitly, but by our actions we condone what is going on because it is used in propaganda.
"It is often said that Formula One should not mix politics and sport, but the Russian regime is already mixing politics and sport in a blatant way, so we have to respond. It is for Bernie and the owners to cancel the race. It is an unprecedented situation since the Second World War, and we have to ask ourselves how history will remember us and what we did or did not do."
Other than the various contractual problems, not to mention the anger and frustration that certain parties in Russia would feel at such a (late) move, there is the fact that Ecclestone is a close friend of Vladimir Putin and even shares some of his views.
Chris Balfe