Infighting continues in build-up to voting

That is when the in-fighting for the upcoming vacancy for the role as President of the FIA, the ruling body, reaches a voting climax on contenders — Frenchman Jean Todt or Finn Ari Vatanen.

Outgoing chief Max Mosley and F1 kingpin and commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone have given their blessing to former Ferrari boss Todt, a figure of unpopularity when he was guiding the Prancing Horse team.

Vatanen, the former World Rally champion who drove a Peugeot under Todt's earlier management aspirations, as open and honest a man as you would wish to have as a friend, is mysteriously rather the outcast.

If anybody harboured any doubts about the favouritism being exercised by the Mosley brigade, they were surely wiped out when Todt made a flying campaign visit to Africa to seek out voting support in a private jet paid for by the FIA. Mosley, exiting after 16 years in charge, has stingingly rebuked Vatanen in a letter: "You will lose and lose badly for denigrating the FIA and those currently in office rather than run a constructive and civilised campaign."

Despite what looks to be an overwhelming band of opponents to his dream of the top, 57-year-old rally hero Vatanen has vowed: "I shall fight clean. We need a new deal and a fresh start and I believe I am ready for this most exciting challenge." In a burst of self-appraisal, he added: "I go forward on the values of honesty and transparency."

Todt, alerted to a poll which underpinned his lack of popularity — 82.9 per cent in favour of Vatanen and only 17.1 in his — said: "You always prefer to be number-one best-loved guy, but I have strong support from FIA member clubs, and they understand that to be at the top you need somebody who is strong, a hard worker and delivers promises."

The Middle East and the Africa delegations are the key factors — though this is a fight that will rage on behind closed doors until the lines to Paris open up next Friday.

— Ted Macauley is a specialist motorsport writer based in England