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Jean Marie Balestre, 1921-2008
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03/28/2008 - 05:22 PM
Paris, France
Combative Jean-Marie Balestre was a dominant personality in F1 in the 1970s and '80s. (LAT photo) ยป More Photos
Former FIA president Jean Marie Balestre has passed away at the age of 86.
Balestre, who was succeeded by current president Max Mosley in 1993, was a founding member of the French national motorsport association, the Federation Francaise du Sport Automobile (FFSA), becoming its president in 1973. During that period he also established FISA, then F1’s primary governing body, and became heavily involved in the organization's battles with Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula One Constructors Association (FOCA) over the control and finances of Formula 1.
In the early 1980s, the FISA/FOCA infighting led to several boycotts of grand prix events by teams supporting either FISA’s or FOCA’s position. Balestre finally agreed to a compromise deal with Ecclestone leading to the conclusion of the first “Concorde Agreement” whose
Even after burying the hatchet with Ecclestone, Balestre remained a lightning rod with his crusade to improve safety in the sport, which saw him campaign hard for the banning of turbo engines – a goal he ultimately achieved in 1989. However, he remained a source of controversy as he was accused by some within the sport for abusing his power -- especially following the bitter controversies at the 1989 and 1990 Japanese Grands Prix between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. Mosley, formerly Ecclestone’s right-hand man at FOCA, emerged as one of Balestre’s leading critics, and ultimately defeated the Frenchman's bid for re-election to the presidency of the FISA in 1991. Mosley went on to succeed Balestre as president of the FIA, FISA’s parent body, two years later.
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