Why Todt is on the right track

Jean Todt was last Friday returned as president of the FIA uncontested for what will be, barring a change of constitution instituted by immediate predecessor Max Mosley - himself in the corner Parisienne office for almost 20 years - the Frenchman's second and final four-year term in office.

Much had been made of Todt facing a challenge from Mosleyite and former British Labour Party politician David Ward, who resigned as Director General of the FIA's (charitable) Foundation in order to campaign for the quadrennial elections, and/or Mohamed bin Sulayem, but in the end both challenges petered out, and Todt was declared president without need for a presidential ballot.

Critics suggest the former Ferrari supremo exploited the 'unfair advantage' enjoyed by incumbents, namely unfettered four-year access to the electorate - in this case senior officials in motor clubs across the globe - but inarguably 'Todt and Team' ran an immaculate and focused campaign where others dilly-dallied.

Ward seemingly flung mud left, right and centre in the hope that some may stick, with the Emirati rallyist/administrator, poised to stand in 2017, staying low. However, where Ward appears to have burned bridges, bin Sulayem has moved from the World Motor Sport Council, where he was vice president, to an equivalent position within the FIA's Automobile Mobility and Tourism structure - endowing him with experience on both sides of the divide, which could prove immensely valuable come the next election.

Ward's attacks on the federation's governance structures - some framed by the Briton during a 20-year tour of duty with world motoring's governing body - predictably failed to resonate with member clubs, forcing Ward to withdraw and leave the way clear for Todt and his officers to consolidate what was started in 2009: reforming and raising standards of governance, instituting a totally revamped International Tribunal judicial procedure and maximising key assets, in particular its Formula 1 World Championship.

Bin Sulayem may yet stand for the FIA president position in 2017 © XPB

Undeterred by his lack of support, on the eve of FIA Week, Ward, originally appointed to the FIA by the Mosley administration, released the results of an I Trust Sport analysis of the FIA's governance he had previously commissioned as part of his campaigning.

According to its website, I Trust Sport has been in existence for under six months, and has a membership list - without exception private individuals - which can be counted on the fingers of two hands (seriously). It appears to have been active only since June this year - around the time Ward's candidacy was first mooted - and thus its credentials are open to question.

That said, the body used assessment tools developed by the Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration and covering seven main categories - Organisational Transparency, Reporting Transparency, Stakeholder Representation, Democratic Process, Control Mechanisms, Sport Integrity and Solidarity - further broken into 63 indicators. The process is known as Basic Indicators for Better Governance in Sports Organisations (BIBGIS), and, commendably, the FIA scored a full house in 12 of the indicators.

In the main the study found that the FIA does a variety of activities at above-average levels, some - such as the mechanisms of the International Tribunal and International Court of Appeal; overall levels of transparency; solidarity and relations with member clubs; particularly where executive representation is concerned - at well above those of other sporting authorities.

Equally, in other areas the FIA could, without any shadow of doubt, "do better" as high school teachers dub room for improvement, but perusal of the report shows these to be either rather individual or legacy issues. For example, the very system for candidature for the presidency - which Ward conspicuously failed to fulfil, although Ari Vatanen managed the task in 2009 - is one of the low-score areas highlighted by the report, as is "limited support to communities that host events".

Sebastian Vettel enjoys the Moulin Rouge-themed FIA gala © LAT

Given that the FIA was left cash-strapped by Formula 1's 113-year commercial rights deal brokered under the Mosley administration, the proceeds of which flowed straight into the FIA Foundation and were thus ring-fenced, it is extremely difficult to see how the FIA could lend support to local communities when the rights to its biggest revenue spinner had been leased to a third party, which in turn sold these for billions to an investment fund.

Ward, who helped shepherd the controversial sale through the EU Commission despite the rights being sold for an estimated three per cent of intrinsic value, was thus very much party to the deal, and given they ultimately ended in the investment portfolio of CVC Capital Partners, should rather look to the investment fund to provide legacy funding to communities. After all, the company last year took £550m out of Formula 1 - a portion of which could have been used for such projects...

Interestingly, although I Trust Sport concentrates on analysing the governance of sporting bodies, the FIA is, of course, a global motoring body with tentacles that include touring, motoring legislation and mobility and thus stretch way beyond motorsport.

Apart from the fact that the FIA cannot be directly compared to FIFA - previously the subject of BIBGIS by the Swiss School - this raises the question of whether I Trust Sport is, apart from its patent inexperience, in any way qualified to analyse a global organisation rather than a sporting body.

Although the FIA is clearly Formula 1's governing body, its responsibilities run beyond motorsport's premier category, with virtually every branch of four-wheel (or more) competition falling under FIA control, either directly or via a global network of national sporting associations (ASNs). Thus, what Todt's newly elected WMSC decides ultimately affects all AUTOSPORT readers, not only F1 fans.

Ecclestone and Todt got a deal done in the middle of election campaigning

A major milestone - and powerful election fodder - was the September signing between Todt and Bernie Ecclestone, the latter acting for Formula 1 commercial rights holder FOM, of a framework for a rejuvenated Concorde Agreement, the (now-expired) covenant that outlines the mutual sporting, technical and commercial obligations of all F1's players, running from 2013-20.

This endows the FIA, left considerably short by the terms of the 113-year commercial rights deal agreed between Mosley and Ecclestone, with an estimated £25m per annum for seven years. This is incremental to the original sum agreed to by Mosley (£250m for the full term, or average per year of just £2.2m), and thus compares rather well.

Todt intends using this welcome income for the benefit of all motorsport - whether on-, off- or closed-road activities - and to this end he established the Resource Allocation Working Group, with representation from all regions, to best define how to use the funds for the future benefit of motorsport.

The remit of the WMSC has been broadened beyond its regulatory function, further becoming a forum in which future sporting strategies are discussed and defined, working in conjunction with the recently instituted Motorsport Development Task Force.

A 'Grassroots to Grands Prix' programme is among the planned initiatives, with expenditure reduction and cost rationalisation forming cornerstones, while proposals are in place to institute golf-like handicap systems for leisure karting. Emerging disciplines such as drifting will be granted international recognition, while Formula E, Todt's long-cherished low emissions category, will make its debut in 2014.

Vatanen won the 1985 Monte Carlo Rally for Todt's Peugeot WRC team © LAT

A number of Regional Coordinators will be appointed to work in partnership with ASNs in order to promote the growth of grassroots motorsport and targeted local events with a view to attracting a youthful segment - all too often (and easily) enticed by electronic pursuits - to the sport. The establishment of an international network of certified karting schools conforming to prescribed safety/tuition standards is just one proposal.

Aware of recent tragedies in rallies and suchlike, Todt has created the Closed Road Commission, responsible for safety of events contested on roads, as opposed to circuits. The 1981 world rally champion Vatanen - not only his opponent in the 2009 elections, but, equally tellingly, a driver who suffered horrific injuries in an accident during Todt's devastatingly successful tenure as director of Peugeot Sport - heads the commission.

Finally, the Single Seater Commission, presided over by grand prix-winner Gerhard Berger, is charged with simplifying racing's ladder to create a coherent path for young drivers graduating from karting. At present a maze exists - as proved by the confusing variety of paths to stardom chosen by the present Formula 1 grid - and one wonders how many promising youngsters wrong-slotted along the way.

Todt has a history of working to four-year cycles, whether at Peugeot, Ferrari or the FIA, eventually proving ultra-successful even if some starts were slightly rocky for whatever reason.

At Peugeot his teams creamed the WRC, Dakar and Pikes Peak, while at Ferrari he set the Scuderia up for a record-breaking run of success, one that dwarfs Red Bull's current hegemony. After four years there is no doubt the FIA is a far more harmonious body than it was prior to 2009.

Thus, do not be at all surprised if youngsters attracted by these laudable plans hit Formula 1 by the time Todt steps down come 2017, and, if not, all motorsport will still be all the richer for all the initiatives - mostly paid for by Formula 1...