Williams F1 director of engineering Patrick Head launches a stinging attack on former Ferrari team principal Jean Todt, describing the Frenchman as wholly unfit to take over the role of FIA President once Max Mosley retires.

Patrick Head has made no effort to hide his and Williams' opposition to Jean Todt taking over the running of the FIA once Max Mosley steps down, describing the former Ferrari team principal as 'confrontational, argumentative and not impartial'.

Though Mosley won the crucial FIA Senate vote of confidence held on his ability to continue to lead world motorsport's governing body in the light of the sex scandal exposed by the News of the World just over three months ago, the 68-year-old has repeatedly stressed that he will not seek a further term in the role after his current stint ends in October, 2009 - words that have been taken by many, F1 commercial rights-holder Bernie Ecclestone chief amongst them, with a sizeable pinch of salt.

When Mosley does leave office, it has been suggested that Todt is the man most likely to step into his shoes - rumours that have sparked a good deal of controversy, given the view held in some corners of the F1 paddock that the FIA is already more lenient to Ferrari than it is to any other team.

In the wake of Kimi Raikkonen's exhaust pipe breaking in the French Grand Prix just under a fortnight ago, three-time Formula 1 World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart had pointedly remarked: "Part of it (the exhaust system) was visibly hanging off the car. Why wasn't he called into the pits to have the loose piece removed?

"Eventually the loose bodywork flew off the car, which could easily have been dangerous to the public or to another driver. Some people will say that if it had happened with a McLaren, the team would have been fined." [See separate story - click here]

Williams was notably one of the few teams not to publicly slate Mosley's actions or call on him to go following the salacious revelations - with Head seeming to suggest that the governing body's current incumbent is much the lesser evil compared to the potential alternative.

"Our view is that Max, sometimes with our resistance, has done a number of things in recent years which have been good for this company," the multiple world championship-winning Grove-based outfit's co-owner and director of engineering told The Independent.

"It is not in our interests to undermine Max, especially in the light of threats of him being replaced by Jean Todt.

"We have been to many meetings at which [Todt] has been present representing the interests of Ferrari 100 per cent. He is confrontational, argumentative and not impartial - everything that the president of the FIA should not be."