[Bob Tanner]

Vatanen pledges 'common sense' (Associated Press)

NUERBURGRING, Germany -- Ari Vatanen pledged to return "common sense" to motor sport's governing body if he is elected president, saying time is running out to prevent a Formula One breakaway series.

The former World Rally champion announced his candidacy for FIA president Friday. He says he can help bring unity to F1 after a bitter feud between the teams and the governing body this season over a proposed budget cap.

"Imagine if there was a rival series, that would be the end of the FIA as we know it," Vatanen said before the German Grand Prix on Saturday. "Everybody would lose, including those in the other series. It's now at the 11th hour to apply common sense, and maybe a bit of humility would not be bad, either."

Vatanen, a 57-year-old Finn who is currently a European Parliament member, also pledged to focus his campaign on presenting solutions, rather than on personal attacks against incumbent Max Mosley.

"This is not a personal battle between me and somebody else," the four-time winner of the Paris-Dakar Rally said. "I will never throw dirt on Max; I have a very good relationship with him. We must keep a professional level. That's what the FIA needs."

Mosley has led FIA since 1994 but has fallen out with the Formula One Team's Association this season over the budget cap. He pledged not to seek re-election for a fifth term in October as part of a peace deal with FOTA to prevent a breakaway series, but has since hinted that he may go back on that promise. Former Ferrari team principal Jean Todt has also been mentioned as a possible candidate for the job.

Vatanen said that restoring a sense of unity to F1 is crucial for attracting new manufacturers.

"Manufacturers [are] seen as if they are on the other side of a barrier," Vatanen said. "If the daily life in our sport is nothing but battles as it has been recently, they have better things to do."

I don't know anything about this guy but what he says makes a lot of sense.