MMF head Cini meets Todt in FIA talks in Paris

During a visit to Paris recently, Malta Motorsport Federation (MMF) president Tonio Cini held various meetings with top Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) officials.

With FIA head Jean Todt, Cini discussed issues concerning motorsport in Malta and ways how the MMF could operate within the FIA structure to reap more benefits from its affiliation to the world body.

Todt expressed his wish to travel to Malta and asked Cini to kick off the process with his staff to try and make this visit possible.

Another meeting followed with the Chef de Cabinet du President, Xavier Malenfer, and the Director of the Office of the FIA president, Greg Hunting.

Malenfer, a former technical adviser for sport to French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, coordinates the activities of the FIA president. He is also responsible for developing and managing relationships with public institutions.

Cini informed the FIA that motorsport is highly followed in Malta but is lacking in facilities. Moreover, he told FIA that the MMF had set up a sub-committee to formulate a report on the current situation and the development required.

Another meeting was held with the FIA Institute’s Director of Programmes, Quentin Crombie.

The FIA Institute is the entity that offers enhancement programmes to national federations.

Crombie explained some guidelines on these applications and how the MMF and its members can benefit from such programmes.

He also mentioned that only recently, the FIA had appointed MSA UK and CAMS, of Australia, as the two world regional trainers.

Cini welcomed such news since MSA UK and MMF have already worked together in the past.

Last year, MSA UK official Allan Dean-Lewis was the key speaker in a seminar organised by the MMF on Motorsport Safety.

Crombie said the FIA was convinced that although the Maltese federation was set up only three years ago, the work being conducted is in the right direction and re-affirmed that the FIA Institute is looking forward to assist MMF in this development process.