Max Mosley has issued a statement about the infamous News of the World allegations, two days after the claims were made by the newspaper.
Mosley claimed he has been the target of, “a covert investigation of my private life and background has been undertaken by a group specialising in such things, for reasons and clients as yet unknown.”
He added he will not resign from his position as President of the FIA:
I have received a very large number of messages of sympathy and support from those within the FIA and the motor sport and motoring communities generally, suggesting that my private life is not relevant to my work and that I should continue in my role. I am grateful and with your support I intend to follow this advice.
Read the full statement here. More to follow.
Christopher
1st April 2008, 19:28
Sadly, this refusal by Mosley doesn’t appear to be an April Fool’s joke!
Tim B
1st April 2008, 19:49
Christopher, HE IS THE APRIL FOOL! :-)
Martin
1st April 2008, 19:59
Christopher and Tim – lol! :)
Yes, he might have the support of those in the FIA and the ‘motorsport community’ – but I haven’t heard many fans come out in his defence.
I know he’s not paid, but his is a position of authority and if this were to be happen to the chief exec of a global company or a politician, they’d have been out the door by 9am yesterday.
I think the clock is ticking – and if it isn’t, it probably should be.
Andrew
1st April 2008, 20:13
I say good on him. We have a history of letting the press make our decisions for us by allowing them the freedom to express our outrage for us and to demand resignations as a result. It is time it stopped.
Ousting someone you don’t like because they like things a little on the kinky side, or even because they express opinions that you find abhorrent, provided they are unrelated to the position they are employed to do, is just not Cricket.
If Max is to go it should be because he isn’t doing the job adequately; until that decision is reached he should be given the chance to do it. In the meantime the ‘news’ papers should try finding some actual news instead of the feeble minded celebrity driven drivel they seem to be obsessing over these days.
Dave M
1st April 2008, 20:37
Well at least this seems to clear up the question of whether it was actually him or not.
Brar Soler
1st April 2008, 20:40
I Think Max isn’t doing the job adequately. The Brundle affair seems to be at the root of the scandal.
But worst Max has dones to the world, when he blocked f1 development (active suspention, variable speed drive, electronics etc). Formula 1 at the sixties was known as fastest performance cars of the world. Nowadays when ecology is a main concern, I can not understand why racing could not be in the Darwinian way.
Sorry for the poor English…I´m from Brazil.
Tim B
1st April 2008, 20:45
can you imagine the reaction if he turned up at Silverstone? It’d be worth going in fancy dress, at least a "whip me mein furer" t-shirt….
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
1st April 2008, 20:47
After the Hamilton stuff over the winter I wouldn’t fancy your chances of getting in dressed like that Tim!
GARYC
1st April 2008, 21:08
Keith, is there any process within the power structure of the FIA to force Max out? Sadly, I suspect not, but with major corporations /Team owners/ sponsors etc. unhappy, the pressure will build.
Christopher
1st April 2008, 21:30
I doubt the FIA would do such a thing. As I recall (and I’d love to find some good sources on this again, or be corrected!), the FIA board approved changes before the last election making it much tougher for anyone to even stand against the incumbent Mosley for president.
I can’t see there being much chance of him being ousted from within.
Simon D
1st April 2008, 22:17
As much as I dont think he’s managing the sport very well, I dont think this is the way he should go. It must be incredibly humiliating, and I stand by the opinion that what people do in their free time is up to them. If Max likes to spend his money on hookers, then so be it. He certainly isn’t the first and wont be the last powerful man to like a bit of rough…
Rabi
1st April 2008, 22:27
good to see that Bernie sent him that one letter of confidence :p
verasaki
1st April 2008, 22:37
The phrase delusions of god like grandeur springs to mind. My bottom line is, if the President of the FIA is unwelcome in a host country, and I have a feeling the King of Bahrain has probably tendered that request discretely, then that renders him ineffective in his job.
The minute his fetishism became public through whatever measn it ceased being a private matter. If this were the CEO of Coca Cola or any other country their resignation would have been handed in by now. F1 is not a private club for club racers.
Max has been way out of touch for quite a while now and it’s both ludicrous and wretchingly arrogant of him to think he’s not accountable to any one else involved in this sport.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
1st April 2008, 23:21
Do you have a link for that story?
Becken
1st April 2008, 23:32
Camon, Brar… the april 1st entry is almost over. I think its not funny anymore!
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
1st April 2008, 23:38
I’ve taken Brar’s comment down (which was number 14) because further unsubstantiated allegations about this sort of thing may cause legal problems.
De
1st April 2008, 23:58
Really? Is that true that he is recieving so much sympathy? From his large number of fellow fetishists or what??? If the guy does not have any sense or right and wrong, does he ever feel ashamed?
OMG his family are victims of the personal attack? He forgot to meantion he is a actually vitctim under that cane too.
Brar Soler
2nd April 2008, 0:02
I"M very, very sorry about that.
Here in Brazil, perhaps we are very diferent, in what is of good taste or not. I Think it is quite clear that I was Kiddin. And is 8 p.m.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
2nd April 2008, 0:05
That’s OK Brar I just have to take extra care in the current climate.
Arnet
2nd April 2008, 22:41
Delusions of adequacy is more like it……..
Gemma
29th April 2008, 11:02
a) there’s nothing wrong with what he did
b) it was a pathetic set-up by the NoTW (http://glitterditch.com/2008/04/telling-tales.html)
c) if being a pervert was a reason for forced resignation, most of us would be permanently unemployed.