International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Max Mosley
reportedly sent a letter to Ferrari president and Formula One Teams
Association chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo demanding an apology for
remarks that the Englishman had been forced out of office and had
behaved like a dictator.
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Max Mosley, FIA President. Photo by xpb.cc.
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The two groups, feuding publicly the past several months over spending
in the sport, Wednesday reached a deal to thwart a breakaway tour by
eight teams. Ferrari was key to a new series.
News agency Reuters said its reporter saw the letter, sent before
representatives of FOTA teams BMW Sauber, Brawn GP, Ferrari, McLaren
Mercedes, Red Bull, Renault, Scuderia Toro Rosso and Toyota met Thursday
in Bologna, Italy.
"If you wish the agreement we made to have any chance of survival, you
and FOTA must immediately rectify your actions," Reuters quoted the
letter. "You must correct false statements which have been made and
make no further such statements. You yourself must issue a suitable
correction and apology at your press conference this afternoon."
Although reports indicated the deal included Mosley's influence in F1
ending Wednesday, the controversial Englishman in his letter asserted
his power.
"At least until October, I am president of the FIA with the full
authority of that office. After that, it is the FIA member clubs, not
you or FOTA, who will decide on the future leadership of the FIA."
Mosley wrote that FOTA's "deliberate attempt to mislead the media" gave
him the option to seek another presidential term. Mosley succeeded
Jean Marie Balestre to the position in 1991 after the controversial
Frenchman was seen to have used his powers to help French driver Alain
Prost become world champion in 1989 to the detriment of Brazilian Ayrton
Senna.
FOTA vice chairman John Howett of Toyota F1 told reporters Thursday that
FOTA "would like someone independent from any of us," in the FIA top
job.
"The federation is an independent body with its own constitution,"
Howett said. "It's their business who they appoint as president."
Montezemolo said Wednesday during a news conference at FIA
headquarters in Paris, where all F1 parties met to deliberate and
conclude the deal, that he thought Mosley "had done a very good fix" to
the sport-threatening feud.
The surfacing as Mosley successor, as reported by the BBC, include
Automobile Club de Monaco president Michel Boeri, former Ferrari team
principal Jean Todt, former rally driver Ari Vatanen, and chief steward
Alan Donnelley.
