FIA president Jean Todt will face opposition at the upcoming FIA presidential election in September, it has been confirmed.
David Ward has quit his position as director of the FIA Foundation in order to run against the Frenchman who has held office for the past four years after he defeated Ari Vatanen to succeed Max Mosley.
In a statement, Ward confirmed his intention to run against Todt for the role, adding that he took the decision to quit the FIA Foundation in order to concentrate his efforts on securing backing.
“After much careful thought, I have decided to stand as a candidate in the 2013 FIA Presidential election,” he said.
“The election period begins in September and it will be necessary for me to approach FIA members to secure nominations. In these circumstances, I think that the correct course of action is to resign [my current post]. Election processes inevitably involve robust and lively debate and, whilst the Foundation is independent and there is no legal requirement for me to resign, I believe that it is in the best interests of the charity that I stand down now.
“It has been a great privilege and words cannot express my gratitude to the trustees and staff for the support and loyalty I have been given since the Foundation was established in 2001. The Foundation has given me an extraordinary opportunity for professional fulfilment, building up the charity, creating a dedicated team, developing innovative activities that have reshaped the international agenda’s approach to road safety and the environment. Very important to me has been the UN’s launch of the Decade of Action for Road Safety, the Moscow Ministerial in 2009, and the global campaign that helped to bring them about. Also very gratifying has been the creation of the Global New Car Assessment Programme and its pioneering work with emerging consumer crash test programmes in Latin America and Asia. The Foundation’s environmental work has been similarly successful, assisting in the UN Environment Programme’s drive to complete the removal of lead in fuel, and the launch of the Global Fuel Economy Initiative. As a former amateur competitor, I am also pleased that the Foundation has been able to contribute significantly to the promotion of motor sport safety through research funding and grants for training programmes managed by the FIA Institute.
“The Foundation, and especially its superb staff, has been a wonderful organisation to lead and, naturally, that makes it very hard to leave. Nevertheless, I am sure now is the time for me to move on not least because the trustees and staff are more than capable of sustaining the Foundation’s important work. I will, of course, also continue to strongly support the Foundation’s objects through my role as secretary general of the Global NCAP and as executive secretary to Lord Robertson’s Commission for Global Road Safety and the Make Roads Safe campaign.”
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