Todt elected as FIA president

Former Ferrari boss Jean Todt replaced Max Mosley as president of Formula One's governing body after trouncing Finnish rival Ari Vatanen in a vote yesterday.

"Jean Todt has been elected president of the FIA for a four-year term by the FIA General Assembly at its annual meeting in Paris," the International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in a statement.

The 63-year-old Frenchman won 135 votes to 49 for Vatanen, the former world rally champion who was his sole rival for the most powerful position in world motorsport. There were 12 abstentions.

"I like action, I like to make things go forward and I am really happy to see that so many countries chose me but everything is yet to be done," Todt, whose position covers everyday motoring matters as well as sport, told a news conference.

"The day the election is over everybody must share the same goals, including those who did not support me," he added in a conciliatory tone to his beaten rival.

"I am not closing the door to anybody."

Todt, who competed in the world rally championship as a co-driver before moving into team management, made clear he intended to delegate much of his authority at a body that unites 221 member clubs - representing some 100 million motorists - from 132 countries.

"I want to nominate commissioners because I am not intending to run Formula One as a first person," he said. "I don't want to underestimate the problems but success in my career has always been to have the right people in my teams."

Todt had been backed throughout an increasingly acrimonious campaign by Mosley, who will remain in the FIA senate, and Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

Retired seven-times Formula One champion Michael Schumacher, who won five of his titles with Todt at Ferrari, was another supporter and the Frenchman left open the possibility of working with the German.

"He is like a son. There has always been a place for him next to me and there will still be," he said.

Vatanen, a former European parliamentarian who stood on a platform of change and transparent governance to make a clean break from the Mosley era, was saddened by the outcome.

"I did not expect that such a vast majority would vote for Jean Todt," he told reporters. "I thought that more people would vote for me but apparently the delegates felt the pressure. It's very hard to renew this regime.

"I hope that the FIA will become more democratic but so far it is just wishful thinking," he added.

Mosley, whose private life became very public last year when it emerged that he had engaged in sado-masochistic sex sessions with prostitutes, had been FIA president since he ousted Frenchman Jean-Marie Balestre in 1993.

Meanwhile, the Malta Motorsport Federation (MMF) yesterday issued a statement to congratulate Todt on his election as the new president of the FIA.

Tonio Cini, the chairman of the MMF, attended yesterday's AGM in Paris.