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Williams’ Parr would be ‘proud’ to be FOTA chairman

Adam Parr has admitted the possibility of becoming the next chairman of the formula one teams association FOTA.

Last month it was rumoured that Parr, the chairman of the independent British team Williams, was lined up to succeed FOTA’s current chairman Martin Whitmarsh.

McLaren boss Whitmarsh responded to the reports by insisting his mandate runs until the very end of 2010.

But Parr, a qualified barrister who has also worked at Barclays Bank and mining giant Rio Tinto, hinted it is possible he will be the next FOTA chairman.

“Ah, yes, it is a rumour,” he told the American-Statesman newspaper whilst touring 2012 US GP host Austin on Wednesday.

“It’s something that we would be very proud to do as a team,” said Parr.

“I think there’s a lot of work to be done and if we’re given that opportunity, we’ll take it on with a lot of energy and quite a high degree of humility as well, because it’s a big challenge.”

Whitmarsh said recently that he would not like to see the F1 calendar grow to more than 20 races, but Parr hinted that the schedule is set to keep expanding.

The FIA on Wednesday published the official calendar for 2011, featuring an unprecedented 20 races and the inaugural Indian grand prix.

“The year after we’ll be coming to the States,” Parr said, “so assuming we don’t lose any races, we’ll have 21 races in 20 countries.

“But we won’t have a race in France and we won’t have a race in Russia, and I would have thought at the very least we need to be in those two countries,” he added.

But Parr played down expectations that F1 could soon have two American races.

“I think we have to take one step at a time,” he said.  “It’s possible in the future but I don’t think that should be part of the plan for the foreseeable future,” he said.

© RIF | GMM