Jean Todt elected president of the FIA

The former director of Scuderia Ferrari, Jean Todt, has been elected as the new president of the International Automobile Federation after a vote by the governing body’s members in Paris. This concludes a long, dull, and often controversial electoral campaign.

Jean Todt therefore beat the former Rally world champion, Ari Vatanen, by a comfortable margin with 135 votes for him against 49 for Vatanen and 12 abstentions or invalid ballots.

Jean Todt will therefore replace Max Mosley as head of the FIA, as the latter had decided to step down from the race after more than a decade at the helm of the sport.

Todt appreciated the support of big names for his candidacy, such as Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone. However, several members of the FIA had cried scandal because the governing bodies are supposed to show a certain neutrality and yet pressured in favor of Jean Todt’s candidacy.

Max Mosley will therefore leave his position as president of the FIA after having governed for 16 years. A statement from the FIA headquarters indicates that: «Jean Todt has been elected president of the FIA for a term of 4 years by the FIA General Assembly during its annual meeting in Paris.»

Todt will now have to stave off the critics and ensure that the status quo currently in place on the board is maintained, acting on his promises to achieve some harmony between the FIA and the F1 teams. He has promised to create an independent disciplinary panel to judge various matters concerning the FIA.