By Anand Philar
Chennai, July 1 (IANS) Vicky Chandhok Wednesday confirmed that he is in the running for the post of the president of the Paris-based Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the world’s governing body for motor sport.

Chandhok, the Chennai-based former president of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), told IANS: “The papers have to be filed by September as the FIA General Assembly is scheduled for October 23. But my election largely depends on the support I receive from (Formula One supremo) Bernie Ecclestone and (current FIA president) Max Mosley besides the member countries. It will be an interesting challenge.”

The names of five others doing the rounds for the top post include former McLaren Mercedes boss Ron Dennis (England), former Ferrari team manager Jean Todt (France), the 1981 World Rally champion and European parliamentarian Ari Vatanen (Finland), Michel Boeri (Monaco) and Nick Craw (US).

Chandhok, hailing from a family of motor sport enthusiasts including his father, Indu and son Karun (currently in GP2), said he did not consciously canvas for his candidature but was willing to take on the onerous responsibility if given a chance.

“The fact that I have attended many FIA events, including Formula One, met with a lot of officials over the years besides being a regular at the AGM perhaps gave me the visibility. But at no time did I actively canvas for my candidature,” said Chandhok.

“If anything, my candidature sums up strongly about India that I feel have become a major force from being just a pinhead on the international motor sport map,” he added.

Chandhok became a familiar figure at FIA events when Karun made his debut in British Formula 3 in 2002. Over the years, Chandhok developed a strong relationship with Ecclestone besides a host of top FIA officials.

So much so that Chandhok played host to Ecclestone and his wife during their private trip to India a few years ago.

Those in the know of FIA politics believe that Chandhok’s proximity to Ecclestone could swing the votes in his favour.

Mosley, after 23 years at the helm of FIA, has agreed to step down after coming under increasing pressure in the wake of recent controversies on and off the track.

Chandhok has been a very influential and high-profile personality in Indian motor sport since he began racing and rallying in the 1970s and subsequently took over as the FMSCI president.

Though currently he is only the FMSCI Race 4-wheeler international and Karting commission chairman, Chandhok enjoys a far greater power given his proximity to the federation chairman Vijay Mallya as also his persuasive personality.