The Frenchman was backed by former FIA president Max Mosley for the role a couple of years back, but at the time insisted that he only wants to take that position within the international body for a maximum 4 years, meaning one mandate. However, in a recent interview with the Financial Times, the former Ferrari boss hinted the decision to stay for only 4 years is not set in stone.
“My frame of mind is to achieve as much as I can in my first mandate,” said the Frenchman, according to James Allen's F1 blog, the journalist who interviewed Todt for the aforementioned publication. “I'm healthy, motivated. We don't have to decide anything for another two years,” he added.
While that must please some members of the European Commission, as revealed in one of our previous reports today, the move would most likely not play very well with F1 supremo Ecclestone. The 80-year old Englishman has been harshly critic of Todt's policy as FIA president lately, revealing his public opposition to the 2013 engine rules.
In addition, Ecclestone isn't a big fan of Todt's FIA ruling either, admitting in his latest autobiography that the Frenchman is a “poor man's Max” and that he “has been traveling around the world doing what Max didn't do too much – kissing the babies and shaking the hands.” Referring to Todt's green efforts at the helm of the international body, the F1 boss called them “a complete joke.”
"There is emotion, but what is important is never to overreact," said Todt, trying to answer to this criticism from Ecclestone. "I feel confrontation, unless it is necessary to achieve the final result, you lose time."
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