Ecclestone Considering Fia Role

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Ecclestone considering FIA role

(BBC)

Ecclestone is reportedly tempted by Mosley's offer

Bernie Ecclestone is considering giving up his role as Formula One's commercial rights holder for a post with the sport's governing body, the FIA.

FIA president Max Mosley has offered Ecclestone a role in the organisation and sees "every possibility" of the 74-year-old Briton accepting his offer.

"It would be a very major step for him but I think, yes, he might do it," said Mosley at the Monaco GP on Thursday.

Ecclestone is reported to have said he is "seriously considering" the idea.

I am seriously considering the proposition Max has put to me

Bernie Ecclestone in the Guardian

Mosley said he wanted Ecclestone to help with the "millions of things" he has to do.

"The thought did occur to me that if Bernie could be persuaded to give up all his commercial interests...why shouldn't he do the FIA (International Automobile Federation) side," he said.

"He could deal with the teams, the manufacturers, the banks and all the different things that one has to do. So I suggested this to him and he hasn't actually said no."

The FIA is separate from the commercial side of Formula One, which could cause a conflict of interest.

If Ecclestone were to take up Mosley's offer, he would have to turn his back on the holding company SLEC, which is largely controlled by three banks with whom he has had several legal battles in recent times.

Ecclestone is quoted in Thursday's Guardian newspaper saying he hasn't ruled out Mosely's proposal.

"I'd have to say I am seriously considering the proposition Max has put to me at the moment," said Ecclestone.

"Is he pressing me for a decision? Well, sort of.

"The job is quite appealing in a sense, dealing with every element of Formula One, although I would have to remove myself from the commercial aspect of the sport."

Ecclestone is credited with turning Formula One into the global multi-billion pound industry it is today - but Mosely said if he did switch sides of the fence, it would not be a major concern for the sport.

"He knows the business better than anyone and one of the things in our arrangements with his companies, and therefore with the banks and so on, is that we have to approve his successor," said the FIA president.

"If he was sitting on our side of the fence, he would play a major role -- if not decide who that person was to be.

"The result is that we would have somebody very sensible doing the commercial side but also somebody who knows Formula One intimately doing things from the FIA point of view."

Mosley denied that the move was a strategic one designed to strengthen his position with manufacturers planning their own series from the end of 2007.

"It's not done for that purpose," he said. "It's really done to unload some of the burden of dealing with all of this. But it would certainly have that effect.

"But I must say I am quite optimistic about the manufacturers. I think those problems will just get sorted out. That's a question of talking which they now seem wishing to do."