Ari Vatanen, a former World Rally Champion, has thrown his hat into the ring as a potential candidate to stand against Max Mosley as FIA president later this year.
The Finn, who won the WRC title in 1981 and was a member of the European Parliamant until this year, has been mentioned in recent weeks as a possible contender to go up against Mosley. Now, Vatanen has confirmed that he is seriously considering the prospect of standing against Mosley, if the current president chooses to restand for another term in October.
Vatanen told news agency Reuters: "I'm consulting the member clubs and am already seeing positive feedback. I think the time has come for a change. I would go for it, even if not sure of winning."
Mosley had agreed with F1 teams to step down at the end of his current term, but he is considering his options after what he claims were "deliberately misleading" comments made by them to the press. He has told the FIA member clubs that it is important the governing body maintains its strengths and does not sacrifice powers to the teams – something that requires a "strong" president.
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