Former Ferrari F1 Boss Todt is New Elected President of FIA

On Friday October 23rd, the FIA (Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile) elected Jean Todt as their new president. Having a distinguished career with Ferrari's racing program during the team's famed Schmacher-era of Formula 1 (1996-2006), Todt had also been involved in the management of sports car and rally car efforts for Peugeot. Challenged for the vote by Finnish rally champion Ari Vatanen, Jean Todt 135 of the 200 member FIA committee secures him to take over the position held by Max Mosley since 1993.

Through three terms and a 16 year reign, outgoing president Max Mosley was principal of many unpopular moves in Formula 1. Started following the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and three-time F1 champion Ayrton Senna in the 1994 round of San Marino, Mosley pushed teams hard to on stringent crash testing of Formula 1 cars. In the United States, Mosley also received considerable heat for the bizarre event of the 2005 United States Prix. When than-tire supplier Michelin discovered their Formula 1 rubber compound was poorly suited to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, FIA under the command of Mosley refused all concessions to remedy concerns. As Michelin-equipped cars were ordered not to race by the tire company, only six cars (fielded by Ferrari, Jordon, and Minardi) competed in the 2005 in what has arguably become the biggest blunder in organized auto racing. Through much of this regime, Max Mosley enjoyed the support of F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.

Instead leaving as an unpopular figure based on personal actions unrelated to motorsports, key members of the Formula 1 world wanted Mosley's tidy resignation so the FIA would not endure possibilities of enduring embarrassment. Granting that courtesy to the FIA, Max Mosley immediately endorsed the choice of Jean Todt as the motorsport's sanctioning body's next president.

Jean Todt's start of a four-year term as FIA president has indicated the employment of a commissioner to run the Formula 1 championship. This plan, releasing the FIA board from certain decisions for the F1 series, is also expected to filter into FIA-sanctioned rally car and GT series.