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Spanish motorsport boss ‘delighted’ at Mosley stay-away

The president of Spain’s motorsports federation is “delighted” that Max Mosley has stayed away from the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend.

FIA — the governing body for motor sports which Mosley heads — has chosen to launch an anti-racism campaign at the Circuit de Catalunya.

“It’s not the best moment to do something anti-racism with Max involved. I’m delighted that Max is not here,” RFEA president Carlos Gracia said in a telephone interview on Friday. “I supported Max in all moments. I think he’s done a great job for the sport. But under the circumstances, his attitude and personal life has caused major damage to [the] FIA’s image. It’s the president’s job to give off a certain image.”

A British tabloid reported earlier this month that Mosley engaged in sex acts with five prostitutes that involved Nazi role-playing.

Mosley, who is suing the News of the World newspaper, admits visiting the prostitutes but denies there was any Nazi connotation.

The 68-year-old president, who chose to attend the Jordan Rally this weekend, plans to attend next month’s Monaco Grand Prix, marking his first Formula One appearance since the allegations about his private life were published.

Mosley said on Friday that he intends to visit the May 25 race, which takes place nine days before he faces a secret general assembly vote in Paris on his future.

“I will be going to the Monaco Grand Prix. I live there,” Mosley was quoted as saying by autosport.com Web site. “I only went to one complete Formula One race last year. That was Monaco and I was at the complete event because I live there. I never had any intention of going to Barcelona because I had nothing to do there.”

Gracia would not say if he supported Mosley’s bid to continue as FIA president. The Spanish federation will decide together with the Spanish Automobile Club and the Catalan Automobile Club on what vote to cast, Gracia said.

On Friday, Israel’s minister for science, culture and sport withdrew an invitation for Mosley to visit the country to discuss the future of motorsport there.

Galeb Majadle said that the invitation was not meant to be personal, but extended to FIA as an organization.

“Once the scandal was brought to the minister’s attention, he has requested to withdraw immediately any official invitation to Mosley until the matter is reviewed more thoroughly once back in Israel,” the ministry said in a statement.

Even if he wins the ballot, Mosley has said he still plans to step down when his current mandate ends in October next year.

Gracia welcomed the pledge.

“It’s one thing to say it and another to actually do it,” Gracia said. “I think [the] FIA needs a definite change. Everything needs to be stabilized.”

Member federations from the US and South Africa have publicly called on Mosley to step down. Two hundred and twenty-two national motoring member organizations from 130 countries will get a chance to decide at the extraordinary meeting on June 3.

“It will be very hard for him to survive this. He’s damaged [the] FIA a lot with this,” Gracia said.
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