DECEMBER 11, 2009

Todt's new F1 structures

The World Motor Sport Council met in Monaco today and announced the following decisions, which reflect the thinking of new FIA President Jean Todt and his team.

The World Motor Sport Council met in Monaco today and announced the following decisions, which reflect the thinking of new FIA President Jean Todt and his team.

To improve the credibility of the regulators there will be a smaller group of permanent F1 stewards and experienced former F1 drivers from which three will be sent to each race, plus one from the National Sporting Authority. There will no longer be a non-voting chairman and each group of stewards will elect their own chairman from amongst themselves for each race. Utilising video and radio exchanges they should aim to reach decisions very efficiently. The current observer programme for F1 stewards will continue, and training, distribution of decisions, and an annual meeting will be encouraged to raise the quality of decisions in this permanent group.

To make sure that the FIA World Council members still get to go to the races there will be an FIA F1 Ambassador from the membership of the World Council for each event. The Ambassador will liaise with the National Sporting Authority (ASN) and organising team at the circuit. He will also meet with the ASN President, FIA VIP guests, Formula One Management, F1 Teams and other stakeholders and act as an Ambassador of FIA sport.

Each of the FIA World Championships will a Commissioner appointed by the World Motor Sport Council on the proposal of the President of the FIA. The commissioners report directly to the President of the FIA and, at the request of the President, to the Deputy President of the FIA for Sport or to other members of the World Motor Sport Council. The commissioners will be present at each event of the World Championship for which they have been appointed and their role is to serve as permanent liaison for the various stakeholders involved (ASNs, promoters, organisers, manufacturers, teams, officials, suppliers, etc.). They are also tasked with supervising the general running of the Championship and its development on behalf of the FIA. The commissioners are not empowered to take decisions or to perform any other act of a regulatory nature which may come under the remit (sporting, technical, organisational or disciplinary) accorded to the officials of the event by the International Sporting Code. The appointment of the commissioners will allow the FIA President to focus on the strategic development of the FIA and in particular to further encourage the synergies between mobility and motor sport.