By Andrew Benson
Former Ferrari Formula 1 team boss Jean Todt and ex-rally champion Ari Vatanen will go head-to-head in the election of a new head of world motorsport on Friday.
The two men, who worked together on the Peugeot rally team in the 1980s, are the only candidates in the presidential elections of governing body the FIA.
They have fought an increasingly bitter campaign to succeed the controversial outgoing president, Max Mosley.
Both have presented themselves as the candidate for change and harmony.
Mosley’s presidency has become identified with a period of political strife in F1, with a series of damaging rows in recent years.
606: DEBATE
“So guys, who should get the vote and who do you think will do the best job”
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Ill-feeling and suspicion remain and the F1 teams are concerned that the election of Todt, who Mosley has publicly backed as his successor, would effectively be a continuation of the Mosley era.
That belief is enhanced because Mosley, as an ex-president, will retain a seat on the FIA Senate, the powers of which Todt wants to extend.
A spokesman for Todt said: “Jean is Jean - he has his own style. Max and Jean both share a passion for the sport and a passion for the FIA. But Jean has a very distinctive approach.”
Among Todt’s proposals is to introduce a new commissioner to oversee the running of F1.
Todt developed a reputation in F1 as a divisive figure during his 15 years as Ferrari team principal.
That image is at odds with the one painted by former Ferrari team members and drivers, who are largely effusive about his skills as a team-builder and manager.
Todt’s candidacy has been endorsed by his former driver, the seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher, among other leading figures in the sport.
The 63-year-old Frenchman, who has been unavailable for an interview with the BBC, told the Guardian newspaper: “I have been a tough competitor in the past. Maybe they think I will be tough again in the FIA. But it will be a new position and I will handle the situation differently.”
Todt says he stands for “consensus not conflict”, and he points out that he has already met the F1 Teams’ Association, Fota, to discuss his plans.
Vatanen, a former world rally champion, has said he will oversee a more inclusive, non-confrontational climate than has been the case in recent years.
He told BBC Sport in an interview last month: "F1 must stop being a battleground for various parties that don’t have an equal position.
“We must have stable surroundings and clear visibility. We can only do that by working together”
Ari Vatanen
“We must have stable surroundings and clear visibility. We can only do that by working together.”
Mosley’s public backing of Todt infuriated Vatanen and led him to instigate legal proceedings last week to ensure the transparency and fairness of the election.
The 57-year-old Finn has now withdrawn that lawsuit after he, Todt and Mosley agreed a procedure for the election in Paris.
Each candidate will address the assembly of member clubs for 15 minutes, with Todt going first.
A French court official has been retained to oversee the election, and he will supervise the placing of votes by delegates in the ballot box.
The votes will be counted in private by the FIA legal department under the supervision of scrutineers proposed by the two candidates. The court official, a Huissier de Justice, will also oversee this.
The votes will be counted and the result announced during Friday’s meeting, and they will be sequestered for 12 months.