OCTOBER 13, 1997

Mosley gets another four years

MAX MOSLEY was re-elected President of the International Automobile Federation last week in Paris. The 57-year-old Englishman will remain in office until October 2001. There was no opposition candidate and Mosley received a unanimous vote from the record 109 member clubs which sent delegates to the FIA General Assembly from 82 countries.

The elections changed very little within the FIA. Otto Flimm of Germany became FIA Deputy President, in charge of the World Council for Touring and the Automobile, while Portugal's Cesar Torres retained his position as Deputy President of the FIA World Motor Sport Council.

The balance of power in the FIA Committee - which is made up of the two World Councils remains largely unchanged with 20 of the 38 members coming from the European clubs. South American influence was chopped back with two of the six South American members failing to retain their positions. There was no change in the membership from Africa and the MiddleÊEast, while the Americas increased its representation from one to three members.

The World Motor Sport Council elected two new FIA Vice-Presidents: France's Jacques Regis and Nazir Hoosein of India. Germany's Wilhelm Lyding had decided to stand down before the election while Sweden's Lars Osterlind was not picked. This is interesting as Osterlind was one of Mosley's chief allies when he plotted to overthrow President Jean-Marie Balestre in 1991. Two others Mosley allies have also been kicked off the World Council: Mexico's Jose Abed and Venezuela's LeopoldoÊBarbosa being replaced by Henry Krausz of the Dominican Republic, Radovan Novak of the Czech Republic), Carlos Gracia of Spain and Morris Chandler from New Zealand.

Three countries have changed their World Motor Sport Council representatives: Britain's Sir John Rogers has moved aside for John Quenby; Lyding has been replaced by Hermann Tomczyk and Japan's Toshio Iwasaki is replaced by KatsutoshiÊTamura.