FIA president Jean Todt has indicated the disruption caused by the pandemic may affect his decision to stand down as president of the FIA at the end of next year.
Todt, who was elected to replace Max Mosley as FIA president in 2009, has previously said he will not seek a further term when his current mandate expires in December 2021.“I’ve done three mandates and it has taken quite a lot of my time, of my energy, of my commitment,” Todt reiterated in an interview for RaceFans. “So far, we can never predict something, but so far my mandate is ending by December ’21.”
Asked whether the unprecedented development of recent months could lead him to consider seeking a further term, Todt said: “Honestly, it’s not something I was planning at all.
“I must confess I was not either planning this Covid-19,” he added. “It’s not a priority.”
RaceFans understands Todt would only consider a limited extension to his third term as president, in order to ensure a smooth transition following the pandemic, if it was requested by the FIA’s general assembly.
Todt expressed his satisfaction with the progress which has been made in discussions with Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey to ease the financial burden on teams and reduce the 2021 budget cap.
“First of all I must commend the great relationship in which we have been incorporating the FIA and CRH [commercial rights holder, i.e. Liberty Media],” he said.
“We have had regular meetings. Chase’s team, me and my team, and regularly also involving the 10 Formula 1 teams to address the present and the future situation. Clearly this pandemic would have reinforced our wish, our energy, to make more drastic decisions for the future. And in a way to resist even more the resistance which was occurring [from] certain teams.
“We have been circulating the final status of what we are proposing. So we think from the reaction, I would say that the future of Formula 1 has been backed, and it’s now just a question of going through the governance and to finalising details.”
How is the governing body of world motor sport responding to the threat of the pandemic? Read Dieter Rencken’s in-depth interview with FIA president Jean Todt in today’s RacingLines column on RaceFans
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BasCB (@bascb)
13th May 2020, 7:22
Makes sense – Todt hasn’t really considered the end of his term, since he’s been busy first with the regular F1 game of trying to get a stable and longer term rules package agreed, and now with managing the Covid-19 situation.
It also makes sense that if in this complicated situation, where championships might still be struggling to get their 2020 calendar finished in Januari next year and everything uncertain for next year, that he would stay on to help the transition to a new president. The way he says it, he wouldn’t be president anymore, but a top aide/advisor to the new president. Good.
Danny
13th May 2020, 7:33
Todt is a politician at a governing body without real democracy. Just let the voting of the members decide, Bring in Luca Di Montezemolo.
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
13th May 2020, 23:45
Luca Di Montezemolo ,while being a charismatic president that turned Ferrari’s fortune as a brand as well as a F1 team winning countless races and championships, is far from being democratic. He’s a man that used to decide alone and kept a lot of things far away from his management team. For example when negotiating the concorde agreement, no one but him would know the details written in the contract with Bernie Ecclestone. He’s even more political than Jean Todt as well
Dale
13th May 2020, 12:29
Once they get drunk on the power, it’s difficult to relinquish it …
J Tyler
13th May 2020, 15:38
“Todt may stay on due to pandemic if asked”. Let’s hope he’s not asked.
Jeffrey (@jeffreyj)
13th May 2020, 18:03
We have a moron as our leader. Now that a crisis has happened he surely is the best man to continue leading us!
Darryn Smith (@darryn)
13th May 2020, 19:05
We’re going to get a lot of dictators out of this mess. Luckily Todt is meaningless.
David
13th May 2020, 20:05
Todt is the motorsport equivalent of Darth Sidious.