Vatanen for FIA job?

[Nick F40]

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20090710/F1/907109994

I don't know what to say. This is just sweet, he's man that knows what racing should be. Him and Walter Rohl would make a great president and vice. Although Todt wouldn't be a bad candidate either. It would be interesting though, former boss and his racer...

This is a little better than Gurney for President I think

Edited July 11, 2009 by Nick F40

[935k3]

Somehow I knew you would like this idea. I'm for ABM(anybody but Max.)

[elan]

They're just toying with us. The only way Mosely and Bernie are going out is feet first.

[Zoom Zoom]

They're just toying with us. The only way Mosely and Bernie are going out is feet first.

Sadly I think there's more truth to that than anyone wants to know.

[Bernard Kron]

They're just toying with us. The only way Mosely and Bernie are going out is feet first.

Sadly I think there's more truth to that than anyone wants to know.

The bottom line in all of this is to "follow the money". That means the ultimate players in all of this are CVC Partners, the private equity group that holds the commercial rights to FIA sanctioned F1 for the next 90+ years. A rival series would be devastating to their multi-billion dollar investment. They desperately need the big marquis names like Ferrari, McLaren, BMW, etc. in the immediate future to keep the cash flowing going. They couldn't survive any sort of split and reorganization because any reduction in revenue would endanger the interest payments they must make on the bonds they hold. They Know Max Must Go, and increasingly they are questioning the relevance of Bernie who no longer seems to be able to control Max. On the other hand The FIA Must Stay because that's who CVC holds the commercial rights with. So, for this reason, the Vataanen candidacy matters because he represents a viable alternative to Max.

My own opinion is that this whole melodrama around Max is nonsense, probably the result of a serious case of mental instability on Mosley's part as he heads for the exits. His attempt to create a divide between the national automobile clubs who make up the FIA and the large automobile manufacturers who are represented by FOTA is a weak hand and will come to nothing. The FIA needs the money it gets from running the rules and race organization side of F1, CVC needs the money it gets from the commercial side of F1, and the racers need every penny they can get to keep on racing.

To this last point, make no mistake, people like Ross Brawn, Ron Dennis and Martin Whitmarsh at McLaren, Ferrari's Luca di Montezemolo and Stefano Domenicali, Red Bull's Christian Horner and Adrian Newey, Flavio Briatore, Bob Bell and Pat Symonds at Renault, and BMW's Mario Theissen and Willy Rampf, are all racers to their very core, having spent most of their lives in the sport. One way or another they will go racing, whatever it takes, But they are deadly serious about keeping F1 as the very pinnacle of motorsport and have no intention of seeing it relegated to a mere spec car series.

So pay not attention to all this arm waving. CVC have been working diligently behind the scenes. They brokered the deal between the FIA and FOTA the other week and they have no intention of letting Max Mosley or anyone else screw things up now. But if I'm wrong and the whole thing really does blow up and the FOTA teams go off to form their own series without CVC then a lot more people than just Max Mosley are crazy!

Follow the money...

[Nick F40]

Somehow I knew you would like this idea. I'm for ABM(anybody but Max.)

I like to keep my hopes up!