Will Buxton sheds some light on the situation...
http://willthef1journo.wordpress.com/
It now seems clear that one of the reasons Jean Todt has been so quiet is that the role of the FIA President in Formula 1 has been enormously marginalised by the increased strength and power of FOTA. FOTA’s decision to wade into the tyre debate came after the teams felt the FIA President had overstepped his mark by as good as agreeing terms with Michelin before they’d even been consulted. Now there is the argument that the FIA should not be involved in the decision at all because with the teams paying for tyres this is a commercial issue. Not so, says the FIA, as the choice of tyres is a sporting a safety issue, and thus of course involves the FIA. But if it involves the FIA, then the FIA has broken its own rules as the supply deal was never officially put out to tender.
I asked Martin Whitmarsh, FOTA Chairman, in Canada whether this was all essentially politics, and the FIA President stamping his feet, Rumplestiltskin style, in order to get himself heard for the first time in his Presidency. He simply gave me one of those knowing looks, smiled, and laughed, before giving me a beautifully neutral answer.
This would explain why Todt would wade in at so late of a date. He and Michelin were probably willing to let this go through FOTA, when they assumed that the outcome would be a rubber stamp for Michelin. Instead, the tide turned to Pirelli, so Todt steps in at the last minute to try to salvage the Michelin bid. Not surprising, but disappointing nonetheless.
