Vatanen may stand against Mosley

Eurosport - Mon, 06 Jul 21:44:00 2009

Former World Rally champion Ari Vatanen is considering standing against Max Mosley if the Briton seeks re-election as president of motorsport's world governing body.

RALLY - Former WRC champion Ari Vatanen with Max Mosley, head of the FIA - 0

"At the moment I am consulting the member clubs and am already seeing positive feedback," the 57-year-old Finn (pictured, right, with Mosley) told Reuters.

"I am considering standing. I think the time has come for a change," added the four-times Dakar Rally winner.

"I would go for it, even if not sure of winning."

Mosley, 69, said last month that he would not seek a fifth four-year term of office in October as part of a deal with Formula One teams calling for a reform of the sport's governance and threatening a breakaway series.

The Briton has since accused the teams of "dancing on his grave" and suggested that he was under pressure from members of the Paris-based governing FIA to stay on.

"I am under pressure now from all over the world to stand for re-election," said Mosley.

"I do genuinely want to stop. But if there is going to be a big conflict with the car industry, for example with the FOTA teams, then I won't stop."

Vatanen said Mosley had done a lot for motorsport, adding that he enjoyed a good relationship with him, but he felt there was a time when every organisation needed change.

Mosley has been a controversial figure in the FIA, most notably last year when he saw off calls for his resignation over a sado-masochistic sex scandal and then won a high court lawsuit for invasion of privacy.

The FIA president, whose organisation groups some 219 member clubs from 130 countries on five continents, has also worked hard to make motorsport safer while championing environmentally-friendly technology.

Vatanen won the World Rally Championship in 1981, with the future Benetton and BAR Formula One team boss David Richards as his co-driver.

The Finn was a member of the European Parliament from 1999 until this year.

Other potential candidates for the FIA position could include former Ferrari team boss Jean Todt, the Frenchman widely seen as Mosley's preferred successor should the president decide to step down.

Reuters

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  1. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    44.a marnio i isa from a peru a never make any a­ mistakes­ hea F1 KING

    From , on Tue 7 Jul 9:43PM

  2. Copy and paste next time marnio posts­

    Marnio from­­ peru made a mistake and­­ posted in the 20-20 india­ and­ pakistan cricket forums­­ using three of his­ other­ alias's, talking about­­ indian and­ pakistani­ cricket and his motherland and­ how­ the­ British cut it­ in two.

    MARNIO FROM PERU IS A­­­ BRITISH ASIAN AND­ HATES THE UK
    Marnio from peru,­­­ potter, bernard lives­ in the UK but is of­­­ Pakistani/Indian descent
    MARNIO­ FROM PERU IS A­ BRITISH­­ ASIAN AND HATES THE­ UK

    MARNIO FROM PERU IS­ A­­ BRITISH ASIAN AND HATES­ THE UK
    Marnio from peru,­­­ potter, bernard lives in the­ UK but is of­­­ Pakistani/Indian descent
    MARNIO FROM­ PERU IS A­ BRITISH­­ ASIAN AND HATES THE UK

    From alex.whittington, on Tue 7 Jul 9:10PM
  3. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    a good a geta max a out asap

    From , on Tue 7 Jul 9:06PM

  4. Ari would get my vote if I had one!

    From Peter c, on Tue 7 Jul 8:47PM

  5. I just hope Vatanen brings back the Escort MK 2 to WRC!­ Put the spectacular back in rallying!

    From jvwyk, on Tue 7 Jul 8:35PM

  6. I for 1 could never understand how Mosley got to be­ president,what had he ever done for motor sport before­ he did,was it a case of jobs for the boys?All he has­ done in the years he has been in charge is cause­ conflict,he acctually sad he didn't want Lewis to­ win the F1 championship when it looked like he could in­ his 1st year:-said it would be bad for the­ sport,why?colour?

    From Steve, on Tue 7 Jul 6:36PM

  7. I love the people at Silverstone that Boo and jeered,­ Max Mosley. The British airforce take off from­ Silverstone to fight the German Nazi that why he­ doesn't want the British GP at Silverstone to many­ painful memories for him and his vile family member all­ should have been hanged. Oswald Mosley's­ "right-hand man" in the British Union of­ Fascists. Files recently released by the Public Record­ Office show that MI5 wanted to prosecute Joyce's­ wife, Margaret, but was overruled by government law­ officers who spared her out of pity. They were both­ captured after the war and Joyce, 40, was tried and­ found guilty of treason. He was hanged in 1946, while­ his wife awaited trial in Holloway Prison. Mrs Joyce­ was deported to Germany that year and interned as a­ security risk, but later returned to Britain and died­ in London in 1972.

    From , on Tue 7 Jul 6:31PM

  8. How can a Nazi pervert be in 130 countries? How can­ Africa and Asia, South America let this man in they­ countries? No wonder they are third world's.

    From , on Tue 7 Jul 6:17PM

  9. F1s troubles will not simple end with the appointment­ of a new president of FIA.
    the entire system is­ probably corrupt to the core, but with so much money­ involved what isn't?

    From william c, on Tue 7 Jul 5:55PM

  10. Francis S I find, much to my chagrin, that the post you­ made about Marcel looking and sounding like a muppet­ makes absolute 100% sense. Oh dear now I am agreeing­ with you, do Glaswegians like people who agree with­ them?

    From Francis Sterling, on Tue 7 Jul 5:55PM

  11. Ari would be a suitable candidate as he appears­ neutral.The FIA needs to be above silly power­ games,govern with a more mature and responsible­ attitude as recent events have shown it not to be the­ case.

    From Rick Moth, on Tue 7 Jul 5:37PM

  12. i bloody knew it, it must be the sex scandal that has­ got everyone all excited about Max, and i really though­ no-one loved him!!!

    From william c, on Tue 7 Jul 5:35PM

  13. As a Rally man - as a driver who was taught by the­ Finns, as a man and a lover of all motorsport, I for­ one would be absolutely delighted if Ari got the­ position.

    From Rob, on Tue 7 Jul 5:22PM

  14. hay donald . marcel cant look any stupider than he­ already does

    From Francis S, on Tue 7 Jul 5:20PM

  15. Harry the VATman! Gets my vote any day, a true legend­ in motorsport and a very astute politician as well. He­ would bring respectability to a totally discredited­ position.

    From the real adrian, on Tue 7 Jul 4:50PM

  16. williamconnolly555 You would be surprised how many­ people on here actually admire the deviant max and will­ choose to defend him to the end. He represents what­ they would like to be if only they had the b+lls.

    From , on Tue 7 Jul 3:44PM

  17. Thumbs down???????
    What the hell??????
    vatenen fans­ here or something????
    or all you lot secretly love old­ Max

    From william c, on Tue 7 Jul 3:31PM

  18. Donald, Im beyond caring. The way the way I look at it.­ If it is not true then it will only p!ss marnio off­ even more, as long as it is not over done. Anyway I­ think it is an interesting development.

    From , on Tue 7 Jul 3:31PM

  19. Vatenen and Mosley look like lovers in that­ photo.
    there is probably a video floating around on the­ web somewhere of those to 'at it'

    From william c, on Tue 7 Jul 2:59PM

  20. Marcel

    You're gonna look awfully silly when you­ find out who Marnio / Potter / Bernard really­ is....

    Clue SHE is not Asian.

    From Donald D, on Tue 7 Jul 2:54PM
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