Todt also suggested that, far from him, others may have been guilty of
electioneering, mentioning in particular a letter circulated to FIA members
at the start of July, allegedly from a British club.
“I don’t want to get into any kind of controversy but a letter was
circulated to most of the club members a little while ago, emphasising good
governance, different things. I know that some members were not liking that.
“Their way of demonstrating that they were not in favour of this kind of
practice [the letter] was to sign me a document, a kind of resolution,
saying ‘please, will you go again and we will support you’.”
Ward, who stepped down as director general of the FIA Foundation, an
independent charity, in order to stand in December’s election, was formerly
a close ally of Max Mosley and worked with the former FIA president to help
get Todt elected at the end of 2009.
However, Ward claims that Todt has failed to deliver on his promises, and
there are rumours that he may have been encouraged to stand by some of the
old guard.
Asked whether he felt that Mosley was potentially behind Ward’s campaign, Todt
smiled. “Don’t put me into that please,” he said. “Because
honestly I have my own thoughts. I have very good contact with Max. I like
Max. I have always been defending Max.
“Max since 2004 has been suggesting that I should be president of the
FIA. I see him, not very often. But we have dinner together sometimes. In
May he sent me an email saying ‘Don’t hear the noise that I am interested or
that David is interested.. it’s not true. I am not interested.’
“But, again, it’s not a problem [Ward standing]. I am only interested to
write to the clubs early next week that we will move forwards.”