Ari Vatanen

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Vatanen hits back at 'dirty tricks' slur

| From afp.com

FIA presidential candidate Ari Vatanen hit back on Thursday at his rival Jean Todt's claims that he was using a dirty tricks campaign in the build-up to next week's election.

The Finn said it seemed that Todt, and others, appeared to feel that the mere suggestion that motorsport's governing body the FIA needed change, democracy and transparency was a personal attack on them.

In the build-up to this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix, Vatanan again made clear he had no wish to be involved in any kind of personal vendetta with the 'ancien regime' and said he found their reaction 'amazing'.

Vatanen said: "Many people have contacted me and asked what it means when others are accusing my campaign to be dirty?

"My answer is very simple -- if I speak about change, democracy and transparency, it seems to be wrong and it is taken as a personal insult against all the people who have been involved with the FIA before these elections.

"It can be seen as an old school election tactics, but is still amazing."

Vatanen, a former world rally champion, is a vastly more experienced and worldly politician after his work as a member of the European Parliament, but Frenchman Todt has proved himself a wily character during his years in management of the Peugeot rally team and then the Ferrari F1 operation.

Vatanen answered Todt's latest attack - in which he accused the Finn of lacking detailed policies - with an outline of what he would do if he wins the election on October 23.

He said: "My first task would be to meet and thank all the people who had made this possible. I would meet the operative management of FIA straight after the meeting to give some guidelines for the coming weeks.

"I would like to show leadership based on common values and build the reputation of the FIA to the level it deserves, defending our way of thinking and life in the mobility and sports world.

"I would invite a few people from an acknowledged international consultant agency to make a report of all the functions of the current FIA and of its structure including finances and administration.

"Then we would make the necessary decisions in the committee based on those reports and of course in accordance with the views of the committee members.

"We must make sure that the right people are in the right place within the organisation. This all takes a few months. My aim is light central management and administration which is effective, but flexible and cost-saving -- not one that just creates work for people and tries to centralise everything."

He added: "I hope that clubs and people who want to have a change give their votes to me and my team and then we can together start our way towards a new FIA, a federation which belongs to its members and serves them."

Vatanen made no mention of any of the various personal attacks that have been talked of behind closed doors throughout this campaign -- nor did he discuss Todt's relationship with outgoing president Max Mosley, who has indicated his clear and total support for the Frenchman.

Recent soundings as the campaign has intensified ahead of the vote next week have suggested that it will be a very close-fought race, but that the will for change after Mosley's long period in office has given Vatanen a clear advantage.