Jean Todt's predecessor Max Mosley has said that the Frenchman should put Formula 1 back on the right track by having the current agreements challenged in court.
Amid a poisonous political climate at present and fierce criticism of the sport's deadlocked governance processes and rules, current president Todt admitted in Bahrain recently that the FIA should have total control of F1.
However, he said that Bernie Ecclestone's existing agreements with the Paris federation and the 11 competing teams do not expire until 2020, so if he behaves like a "dictator" and tears up the rules and the contracts, Todt tipped the FIA to be sued.
"But I've been entrusted by 250 FIA members to be the president, so I cannot allow the FIA to be sued, and we would lose," said the Frenchman.
Getting sued, argues Todt's much more brazen predecessor Mosley, is exactly what could steer F1 back onto the right track.
"Todt is terrified of being sued," Mosley told The Times. "But the only thing you can do is to go to litigation and arbitration.
"Todt is all for peace and compromise but you have to be prepared to risk litigation or you can't do anything. You have to be prepared to go full steam ahead."
The 2016 F1 season continues this weekend with the Chinese Grand Prix.
