Chandhok not interested in FIA presidency

Saturday 18th July 2009

The former president of India's motorsport federation, Vicky Chandhok, insists he is not interested in running for the FIA presidency.

There had been some speculation that Chandhok could join Jean Todt and Ari Vatanen in putting his name forward for the job when Max Mosley steps down in October.

Chandhok, though, has ruled himself out of the running.

"Of course I would like the challenge of being FIA president, and if someone asked me to do it I would readily accept it," he told Autosport.

"However, I have said several times that I would only do so if I had the full support of Bernie Ecclestone, the F1 teams and the current president, which is Max Mosley.

"I have no interest in getting involved in a big election battle with Ari Vatanen and Jean Todt, so I would like to clarify once and for all that I shall not be throwing my hat into the ring this time."

As for which candidate he believes he will win the election, Chandhok said: "It is too close to call. We heard what Vatanen had to say recently, and he has come across as a neutral candidate, who would bring change to the FIA.

"But Todt has great experience of motorsport and from within the FIA, having sat on the World Motor Sport Council, and providing he can show that he is untied from the past, then he would be a worthy president too."

Your Comments

untac93

"Ari is the obvious choice, a fresh face coming from the otherside of motorsport. Got to be good. Ari for President!!! "

vinontrack

"How in God's name can Chandok be considered for the post of FIA President? I would like to question his achievements as head of the FMSCI in India. The sport in India has seen far too many issues and the lack of collaboration between different bodies at different levels has left motor sport in the pits. Good drivers find it difficult to get sponsors. Little is done to take motor sports to the grass roots; instead the 'authorities' seem interested in promoting their local talent with cars made from scrap tin and unfortunately, only a few make it further and even they hit a brick wall before they have even sniffed the big league. India may be many great things but it is definitely not home for an FIA President!"

NorfolkandGoode

""feralphoenix" thanks for your input. The reason I'm bringing up Mr Chandhok's insistance in NOT applying for the job is because he has nothing to be insistant about. He could not possibly be considered in the first place as, being the President of the Federation of Motor Sports in India he obviously has an "interest". This guy is at present working his little socks off to "facilitate" an Indian G.P. Nothing wrong with that but 'impartial'? shall we say perhaps not. Of the other five main protagonists, we have Michel Boeri, who's already V.P. of the WMSC and President of Motor Sports of Monte Carlo he also must surely have an "interest" Jean Todt will always be seen as a Ferrari man (and Max's puppet - not good!) Ron Dennis will always be associated with McLaren and therefore partisan and Nick Craw who already has unfortunately been associated with M. M. via his Deputy Presidency for Sport at the FIA. It is my take on the situation therefore, that all the above have, or at sometime will have, their own agenda. The FIA must be SEEN to be unbiased and squeaky clean. hence Ari Vatanen MUST get the Presidency, and the Presidency itself MUST be on a fixed time period. "

Yellow

"The FIA is not just about F1. It encompasses a whole heap of motor sport including something like 30 championships. It's fairly indulgent of us to assume that F1 politics should dictate who heads up this organization. Where as I agree that a non-biased (actual or perceived) president would be good as far as F1 is concerned, I think that the important thing is that we ask "What has this person done for motor sport?" rather than "What has this person done for F1?"."

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