A group of British journalists are highly critical of Jean Todt’s leadership during the saga leading up to the cancellation of the Bahrain grand prix.<\/p>\n
When the unrest in the island Kingdom first began, FIA president Todt told reporters during a trip to Ireland that he would not “overreact”, insisting that “at the moment there is no reason to have unnecessary concern”.<\/p>\n
But as the peaceful protesters then clashed more violently with Bahrain’s security forces, raising strong calls for the season opener to be called off, the FIA and Todt went silent.<\/p>\n
Finally, as the Bahrain royal family called off the race late on Monday, the FIA issued a three paragraph statement confirming that it “supports the decision”.<\/p>\n
The statement also made clear that it will be the sport’s Paris based federation that decides if the race can be held later in 2011.<\/p>\n
A group of British journalists are openly unimpressed.<\/p>\n
Daily Telegraph correspondent Tom Cary described the situation as a “complete lack of direction from the sport’s governing body”.<\/p>\n
Via Twitter, The Times’ Kevin Eason agreed: “I still say the FIA’s lack of leadership has been astounding.\u00a0 Where is Max (Mosley) when you need him?”<\/p>\n
The Mirror’s Byron Young described the official FIA statement as “late” and “irrelevant”.<\/p>\n
Eason agreed: “A press release from the FIA arrives.\u00a0 They are alive!”<\/p>\n
Ian Parkes, who covers formula one for the Press Association, tweeted when he received the statement: “The FIA finally speaks.”<\/p>\n
Young, describing the FIA as “worse than useless” throughout the Bahrain affair, continued: “You can criticise Max Mosley for many things, and he’d take them on the chin, but he was a good leader.<\/p>\n
“Todt has been Mr Invisible so far.”<\/p>\n
Cary, agreeing that the “silence from Paris has been deafening” in recent days, offered one possible explanation for Todt’s reluctance.<\/p>\n
He said the Frenchman’s “relationship with Bahrain is a particularly sensitive one.\u00a0 The Bahrain royal family has close ties to FIA president Jean Todt”.<\/p>\n
Cary added that the Bahrain king’s second son is a member of the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council “and played a key role in Todt’s election in 2008”.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Bahrain’s crown prince is “a shareholder in Nicolas Todt’s – Jean Todt’s son’s – (GP2) team”, he reported.<\/p>\n
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