British barrister Graham Stoker announced on Tuesday his candidacy to succeed Jean Todt as head of Formula One’s governing body, the FIA, with Denmark’s record nine times Le Mans 24 Hours winner Tom Kristensen in his leadership team.
International Automobile Federation President Todt, in office since 2009, is standing down and his replacement will be elected in December.
Stoker is Todt’s current deputy president for sport, a role retired sportscar racer Kristensen would fill if the Briton wins.
Belgian Thierry Willemarck, the current deputy president for mobility, and New Zealand’s Brian Gibbons, president of the FIA Senate, are standing on Stoker’s ticket to continue in their roles.
Kristensen retired from competition in 2014 and has served as a steward at Formula One races and as a member of the World Motor Sport Council.
« We will build on the outstanding work of President Jean Todt over the last 12 years, » Stoker said in a statement.
Dubai’s Mohammed ben Sulayem, a former rally driver, has already announced he will stand for the top job. Todt, 75, was re-elected unopposed in 2017.
The Paris-based FIA has 246 member organisations in 145 countries.
Apart from sanctioning a range of world championships, including rallying and endurance racing, it also represents mobility organisations and campaigns actively to improve road safety.
https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/31513557/stoker-bids-fia-presidency-le-mans-winner-kristensen
