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Todt set to face re-election opposition

Jean Todt is seeking a second term as FIA president © Getty Images

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FIA president Jean Todt looks likely to face strong opposition as he eyes a second term at the head of motorsport's governing body.

It was thought he may walk into a second term uncontested but a report in the Times says David Ward, who worked with previous president Max Mosley in the past, is considering standing against him. According to the report, Ward, who also worked on Todt's campaign three years ago when the ex-Ferrari boss beat rally legend Ari Vatanen to the presidency, has been gaining support from within the FIA and Formula One.

"This is not what I intended nor what I wanted, but I am certainly thinking about \[standing\] because it is important to have a debate," Ward was quoted by the Times. "You can only have a debate if there is a choice of candidates and there is no debate if there is no choice."

Ward is currently the Director General of the FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society and has a background in politics after working as policy advisor to ex-British Labour party leader John Smith. His first job in the FIA was in the European Bureau in Brussels and he was one of the key players behind the European NCAP crash test scheme, which was considered to be among Mosley's most important initiatives away from motorsport.

The opposition to Todt comes at a crucial time for Formula One as the FIA attempts to agree terms on a new Concorde Agreement with the teams and F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone.

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