Mosley shows Vatanen the door
Vatanen says he sought to clarify suggestions that the election Mosley is overseeing will involve the 210 FIA voters receiving ballot papers in named envelopes. Vatanen told those at Sportel that when he recommended that, in the interests of transparency, ballot papers should be distributed at random, Mosley escorted the Finn smartly to the door of his office, with the exclamation: "I am not arguing with you."
Vatanen and his supporters have longâ€'standing concerns about the integrity of the electoral process; several believe it to have been compromised by Mosley's declaration in favor of his preferred candidate, Vatanen's rival, Jean Todt. Indeed, despite his own assurances that the ballot will be secret, Mosley has written to one of Vatanen's most influential supporters effectively warning that anyone not supporting Todt will make an enemy of "the FIA membership".
Ari Vatanen was marched out of Max Mosley's office on Tuesday, after a threeâ€'minute audience with the world motor sport president. Vatanen, who is standing for election as the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's president, was in Monaco for the Sportel conference and had been invited to meet Mosley at the FIA offices. But Vatanen told fellow delegates, including Prince Albert of Monaco and Uefa's president, Michel Platini, that the meeting ended after he attempted to discuss the electoral process.
Vatanen says he sought to clarify suggestions that the election Mosley is overseeing will involve the 210 FIA voters receiving ballot papers in named envelopes. Vatanen told those at Sportel that when he recommended that, in the interests of transparency, ballot papers should be distributed at random, Mosley escorted the Finn smartly to the door of his office, with the exclamation: "I am not arguing with you."
Vatanen and his supporters have longâ€'standing concerns about the integrity of the electoral process; several believe it to have been compromised by Mosley's declaration in favor of his preferred candidate, Vatanen's rival, Jean Todt. Indeed, despite his own assurances that the ballot will be secret, Mosley has written to one of Vatanen's most influential supporters effectively warning that anyone not supporting Todt will make an enemy of "the FIA membership".