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Dear President,
I would like to bring you up to date with the many events and meetings which have made January a busy and productive time for us all.
Early in the month, the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobile-Club E.V. (ADAC) held its annual prize giving ceremony, the ADAC Yellow Angels awards, which recognises significant progress in vehicle quality, innovation and environmental efficiency. The event provided an opportunity to talk with representatives of the motoring industry about the importance of continued research and development in vehicle safety.
The newCIK-FIA President Sheikh Abdulla Al-Khalifapresided over the FIA’s International Karting Commission’s (CIK-FIA) 2010 award ceremony which was held in Paris. The evening highlighted the talent and enthusiasm of the young competitors, and I would like to congratulate all who continue to support these young sportsmen and women. I must also thank the outgoing CIK-FIA President, Nicolas Deschaux and the new CIK-FIA President, Abdulla Al-Khalifa for their admirable work in the continued development of karting.
I was honoured to represent the FIA at the Élysée, the residence of thePresident of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, on the occasion of his Voeux au Monde Sportif 2011. At this annual event, the French President addressed officials from various sporting sectors and conveyed his support and enthusiasm for the integral role sport plays in our society, singling out our federation in particular.
The FIA hosted a series of important meetings in Paris and Geneva aimed at furthering our continuing input and involvement in the many sporting championships we are responsible for. Our working group concerned with circuit design met to explore ways to make Formula One racetracks more suitable for overtaking and delivering an even more exciting spectacle.
We also met representatives of other single-seater series to see how we could develop new areas of motor racing in response to the needs of our members, as well as assisting theEuropean Automobile Manufacturers’ Association(ACEA) in preparing meeting points to be discussed at the Geneva Motor Show.
As part of our continued efforts to meet with as many members as possible, I travelled to Austria to meet the Österreichischer Automobil-Motorrad-Und Touring Club (ÖAMTC) which introduced us to the impressive services the club offers its members. After Austria it was Bosnia and Herzegovina for an audience withMr Nebojša Radmanović, Chairman of the country’s Presidency. The visit also offered the opportunity to view the work of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Automobile Club (BIHAMK) and to meet with several other high-ranking government officials, among them the Mayor of Sarajevo, Professor Dr Alija Behmen.
Malta was the final destination visited in January. There I met with members of the Malta Motor Sport Federation(MMF)and theTouring Club Malta (TCM). I would like to commend the MMF and the TCM for their continued hard work and for the warm welcome the FIA delegation received.
The FIA’sAnnual Conference Weekwill take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from March 21st-25th. For the first time sporting ASNs from the Asia-Pacific region will join Mobility clubs for the week. Both pillars will have their own programs but with plenty of opportunity to get to know each other better. Over 250 delegates from more than 50 countries are expected to attend this event. I look forward to a productive and rewarding week and the chance to meet many club officials.
This year also marks the launch of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety, an international campaign supported by the World Health Organisation and the FIA Foundation, aimed at lowering road fatalities worldwide. We support all of the goals of the Decade of Action, as the FIA’s global family has been promoting road safety for over 100 years. This campaign presents us with the opportunity for our Mobility and Sports clubs to work closely together to maximise the potential of our safety programmes.
As part of our ongoing commitment to highlight road safety, we will soon launch a new initiative, the working title of which is‘Action for Road Safety’. This will highlight the work the FIA performs to improve the all round safety for motorsport and road users, targeting motorists, motorsport enthusiasts, young people and governments. ’Action for Road Safety’ will be explained in greater detail at FIA Conference Week in March.
With best wishes,
Yours sincerely,
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