Print

Mail

wiki links

Scandal-tainted FIA head Mosley wins vote of confidence

Max Mosley won a vote of confidence yesterday to remain FIA president despite being involved in a sex scandal, and the German motoring federation responded by breaking off cooperation with the sport’s governing body.

Mosley won a secret ballot 103-55 — with seven abstentions and four invalid votes — at the specially convened assembly in Paris.

The 68-year-old Englishman now appears set to continue leading motor racing’s governing body through to October next year when his fourth term ends.

The German motoring federation ADAC, which is Europe’s largest automobile organization, said it has frozen all its activities with FIA.

“ADAC will stay with its decision as long as Max Mosley holds the top FIA office of president,” it said in a statement.

The German, US, Japanese, French, Australian and Spanish auto federations all voted against Mosley.

Mosley, who has been president since 1994, called the vote after refusing to resign when a British newspaper said he had engaged in Nazi-themed sex acts with prostitutes.

A video showed Mosley arriving at a London apartment and then engaging in various sex acts with several women, at least one in a prisoner’s uniform, while also speaking German. Mosley, who is suing the News of the World newspaper in British and French courts, admits to hiring the five prostitutes but denies there were any Nazi connotations.

His claim was supported by Anthony Scrivener, a lawyer who was hired by FIA to independently investigate the Nazi links and told the assembly there was no proof of such connotations.

Delegates said Mosley gave a strong speech during the meeting, laying out his reasons for wanting to stay on.

“He is a strong man, with very good debating skills,” said Dutch federation member Guido von Waerken.

US delegate Robert Darbelnet, president of the American Automobile Association called the result “a low point” in FIA’s history.

“He secured his vote of confidence,” Darbelnet said. “It’s a very unfortunate outcome, it’s a very unfortunate day for FIA.”

Darbelnet also said it could follow the German decision.

“I will give it very serious consideration whether or not to remain effectively engaged in an organization that condones this type of activity,” Darbelnet said.

Mosley is the son of British Union of Fascists party founder Oswald Mosley.
This story has been viewed 865 times.