F1 chief Todt under fire for tasteless car crash claims
JEAN TODT, the president of Formula One’s governing body, has caused anger by comparing the number of deaths in the Paris terrorist attacks with road fatality figures.
The timing of the Frenchman’s remarks, which downplayed the significance of the atrocity that has killed at least 129 people, was criticised by paddock observers at the Brazilian Grand Prix and by worldwide fans online.
After expressing sadness at events, Todt said: ‘Do you realise that the number of people killed in road accidents is by far bigger than the number of people who died in Paris?
‘Every day on our streets, 3,500 people die. Every day there are 30 times more people who die than in the Paris assassinations.’
Road safety is the Frenchman’s pet subject and a minute’s silence for those who have died in accidents was due to be staged on the grid before this afternoon’s race.
The Frenchman now wants the commemoration to be shared between the Paris deaths and the original road safety idea — a fudge that F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone, the commercial rights holder, is understood to be against.
Ecclestone believes the road safety dimension should be dropped and full attention given to the atrocities in Paris, but the decision rests with the FIA rather than his wing of Formula One’s organisation.
Todt said: ‘We had decided a minute of silence and, of course, we can’t ignore what happened in Paris. We will thus have a moment of attention for what happened there.’
Todt, whose FIA office is on Paris’s Place de la Concorde, added: ‘There’s a bewilderment after these attacks in Paris, but it could happen anywhere in the world.
‘We only are poor spectators in front of such a spectacle. Paris is one of the great capitals of the world and it’s not appropriate to link the FIA to this tragic accident. But you can only suffer when you see such a drama and we hope it won’t happen again.’
Romain Grosjean, the only French driver on the grid, will sport a black armband with the country’s national colours on it in the wake of Friday night’s attacks.
His Lotus team, who are set to be taken over by French car manufacturer Renault, also issued a statement.
‘Lotus F1 Team would like to express its sadness following Friday’s tragic events in Paris,’ the statement read. ‘The team’s thoughts are with everyone affected.
‘For tomorrow’s Brazilian Grand Prix the team will run with the hashtag #PrayForParis on the cars of Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado.’