The election requires candidates to provide a cabinet of 17 members, made up of both FIA sporting and mobility representatives, supporting him on his campaign, to be submitted between October 25 and November 15.

But, recent changes within the FIA means that vice-presidents for mobility, who are meant to appear on this list of members, are no longer chosen by the President but instead voted in directly by their region.

As a result, the FIA has issued a clarification that the election rules will be changed and an amendment to Article 6 of the Internal Regulations will be formally proposed at the next meeting of the FIA General Assembly.

The Presidential "cabinet" will now consist of just 11 members, the candidate himself, the President for the Senate, a Deputy President for mobility, a Deputy President for sport and seven vice-presidents for sport.

Incumbent President Jean Todt will be hoping to serve his second term in charge of the FIA

Ward warned that the FIA faces "huge embarrassment" for proposing the rule change so close to the voting taking place.

"My point all along has been that the FIA's governance is not fit for purpose," he said.

"This is a fantastic example of that.

"They've launched an election and then realised they've screwed up the rules in the middle of an election.

"They're writing today to the membership to say the rules are confused.

"That's a huge embarrassment."

Ward, who resigned as the director general of the FIA Federation in order to run for the Presidency, proposed that the vice-presidents for sport should also be directly elected by their regions.

"It seems to work perfectly well in electing vice-presidents for mobility so why not in the sport as well?" Ward said.

"This would follow the precedent already used for the vice-presidents for mobility who are elected by their regions independently.

"This approach is both, much simpler, more democratic and accountable."

His calls appear to have little support from Todt's camp, with FIA Senate President Nick Craw telling Ward last week that "the idea of electing sport VPs democratically is not practical".

David Ward has been very critical of the current election process during his presidential campaign 



Ward has been very outspoken about his dislike for the current election procedures, and earlier this month wrote a letter to FIA clubs warning the election rules could prevent any candidate from being eligible to challenge Todt, the former chief executive of Ferrari. 

It came after news that 11 out of the 12 Clubs in the North American region had already signed an agreement to support the incumbent President in his re-election campaign leaving just one club available to nominate a vice-president for sport to another candidate's lists, a requirement for a candidate to run in the election.

"In March this year at an FIA meeting in Montevideo, Uruguay, Jean Todt obtained a support agreement from member clubs for a further term as President," wrote Ward.

"Among the signatories were eleven of the twelve national sporting associations and national automobile associations (ASNs and ACNs) from North America.

"In order to be eligible to stand in the FIA Presidential election in 2013 a candidate must propose a Vice President for Sport from each of seven regions including North America.

"The written commitments of support that Jean Todt obtained from ASNs and ACNs prior to the beginning of the election process leave only one club in the North American region that is not already formally committed.

"That club is from El Salvador.

"The absurd situation in which just one club in North America may determine whether or not there can be a challenger to Jean Todt risks turning the FIA election into a farce.

"It shows clearly the detrimental effect that the Montevideo support agreement is having on the 2013 election."

The election is due to take place on December 6 at the FIA Annual General Assembly at the Hotel Intercontinental on the Place de l'Opéra in Paris.  

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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