Mosley denies FIA bias claims

legendary Italian name win the world championship, contrary to long-standing rumours inside and outside the paddock.
But on the eve of the San Marino Grand Prix the FIA President, one of the
most powerful men in the sport, denied to AUTOSPORT.com the FIA would
ever favour one team over another.

'I've heard it suggested there is a conspiracy to see Ferrari win. If there
is we are not part of it,' he said.

'On the evidence of what has actually happened the arch-conspirators would
have to be the driver that made that accusation and his team manager
because they are the ones that have done the most to help Ferrari last
season.

'Without a lot of help Ferrari wouldn't have won the [constructors]
championship.'

The latter remark was a clear reference to recent suggestions by McLaren team boss Ron Dennis and David Coulthard, made in the aftermath of Ferrari's successful appeal against its disqualification from the 1999 Malaysian Grand Prix, and McLaren's unsuccessful attempt to get Coulthard's second place in Brazil reinstated.

'We go out of our way to try to be
fair,' Mosley continued.

'It is inevitable that each team thinks you are going to favour the
others.

'We have to be very careful because we have a very anglophone structure in
the FIA. Many of the leading people at the Grands Prix are Brits and its
very important we don't give other people or countries the impression that
somehow the British administration is favouring the British teams.

'I am rather glad nobody thinks that because there is absolutely no way
that would happen.'

He admitted the FIA would like to see the championship contest go to the
last race, as happened after Ferrari won its Malaysian appeal last season.

'What we really do like to see is the battle go to the end of the
championship but even we cannot influence that.

'If you actually look at how the championship developed last season and the
year before no human being could have arranged that, it's just not
possible. It was really very exciting.

'It may well be this year that the championship is decided early on if a
team is good enough to get a big, big lead but there is nothing anybody can
do about it. They have earned it.'