Mosley wants Todt as FIA chief – FOTA source
Rumors indicate that Mosley is positioning either for a fifth consecutive term as FIA president or preparing the ground for the entrance of Todt, the former Ferrari chief.
But Gracia, who also does not rule out making his own tilt for the presidency, said: "Unless Max has gone even more mad I don't think he'll back Jean Todt because we all know where he comes from and who he's linked to."
Also rumored in recent days was that some of Mosley's staunchest supporters, like Gracia, would come out and publicly back Mosley's claim that the FIA is enraged by the aftermath of the FOTA peace deal.
"What Luca di Montezemolo has done shows a total lack of respect to FIA and the World Council," Gracia told Spain's Onda Cero radio, repeating almost verbatim Mosley's comments that the rebel teams did the equivalent of "dancing on his grave".
"I don't support Max Mosley to the death, but what I am totally in favor of, to the death, is respect for our institutions," he added.
"It wouldn't surprise me if Max Mosley runs for re-election," Gracia continued. "The worst thing you can do is leave an animal badly wounded. What Luca has managed to do is reactivate Max."
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| Jean Todt |
06/29/09 (GMM) Max Mosley may not be clinging to the FIA presidency but simply preparing the ground for the entrance of his preferred successor.
That is the claim of the British newspaper Sunday Times, which quoted an unnamed FOTA insider as hinting that former Ferrari boss Jean Todt is indeed the leading candidate.
"Mosley wants someone to continue his work. Someone that can be manipulated by him — and we all know who that is," the team source said.
The newspaper said the teams believe Mosley's endorsement of Frenchman Todt explains the new tensions in the wake of last Wednesday's peace accord.
FOTA vice-chairman John Howett's comments after Wednesday enraged Mosley and seemed to confirm the view that Todt would be almost as unpopular as FIA president than Mosley himself.
The Toyota team president had said: "From the teams' point of view, we would like to see someone who actually is independent, perhaps independent from any of us currently or historically."
Todt until recently sat on the FIA's World Motor Sport Council, and now works with the federation as president of the safety technologies organization eSafetyAware.
Further evidence of Mosley's link with Todt is that the Frenchman and Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo – Mosley's newest adversary – are rumored to have fallen out as Todt split with Ferrari earlier this year.