FIA should have complete control of F1, says president Todt

F1's governance and decision-making process has come under fire of late given its apparent lack of direction with regard to the 2017 rules, and most notably with regard to qualifying.

Asked if he would change the governance structure immediately if it again gave the FIA complete power, speaking at a media briefing during the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, Todt replied: "That would be logical. The FIA should have complete control, as the regulator and the legislator of Formula 1.

"But historically it has not been like that. It is what I have inherited. It is like that."

Suggested to Todt F1 was in need of a dictator to again take control, he said: "I'm sorry, but I'm not a dictator. If I was a dictator then I would have imposed Q1 and Q2 as it is now, with a time change, and Q3 revert to 2015.

"But I've been entrusted by 250 FIA members to be the president, so I cannot allow the FIA to be sued, and we would lose. Normally when dictators do that - and we have examples on much more important matters than in sport - they always fail. The time of dictators is past.

"We have governance, I respect the governance, and as long as I am entrusted to be president of the FIA then I will follow the governance."

Todt recognised, however, there are issues, adding: "The governance is not good, but the governance has been there for decades. We wait until the renewal of the Concorde Agreement by 2020 and decide to change the governance.

"We are in 2016, and it cannot be until 2020. We cannot get out of this governance, uUnless the teams, the commercial rights holder and the FIA decide to change, then we can do it tomorrow."

In a letter from the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, the collective group suggested F1's current governance was "obsolete and ill structured".

Todt wrote a private letter in reply inviting them to speak with him at any time on their concerns.

He has questioned, though, how many drivers are aware of the current governance structure.

"With all due respect to the drivers, I'm not sure if you ask them how governance works, it would be doubtful they know. Maybe I'm wrong," said Todt.

"I can sympathise with the drivers, with them saying 'We love our sport, help us to ensure we have a healthy and transparent sport', but unless they have very specific advisors then they don't know what is the governance."