Jean Todt says Briatore, unlikely for FIA top job

Former Ferrari boss Jean Todt is unlikely to succeed Max Mosley as the FIA's next president.

That is the belief of Radovan Novak, a member of the Paris body, the chief of the Czech motoring federation, and believed to be a close ally of Mosley.

He told motorline.cc that although Todt is already closely aligned with the FIA, his appointment as president is not likely.

"Of course, this is only my personal assessment: but I do not think that Jean Todt is the right person to be FIA president," he said.

"Todt definitely does not have the support of Bernie Ecclestone, and that is very important," said Novak, who earlier this year was caught up in a controversy for intimating that McLaren could have been involved with the Mosley sex scandal.

He said it is "immensely important" that Mosley's successor has Ecclestone, F1's chief executive and representative of the commercial rights holder, on side.

"If they would fight together, then it would be tough, because the teams would side with whoever benefits them the most."

Novak played down suggestions that Flavio Briatore might be another leading candidate for the role.

"Briatore is a very good manager, but then we would have the newspapers full of stories about his girls, which would be even worse than with Mr Mosley!" he joked.

Ultimately, Novak believes Mosley will opt to remain in the job for "another term".