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closeSpanish official welcomes the Mosley no-show
PAUL LOGOTHETIS
The Associated Press
Friday, Apr. 25, 2008
BARCELONA, Spain – 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 that 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 Friday with The Associated Press.
“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 FIA’s image. It’s the president’s job to give off a certain image,” Gracia said.
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 Mosley, who chose to attend the Jordan Rally this weekend, plans to attend next month’s Monaco GP, marking his first Formula One appearance since the allegations about his private life were published.
Mosley said Friday that he intends to attend the race on May 25, 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 intentions of going to Barcelona because I had nothing to do there.”
Gracia wouldn’t say if he supported Mosley’s bid to continue as FIA president. The Spanish federation will decide along with the Spanish Automobile Club and the Catalan Automobile Club on his future, 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 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 2009.
Gracia welcomed the pledge.
“It’s one thing to say it and another to actually do it,” Gracia said. “I think FIA needs a definite change. Everything needs to be stabilized.”
Member federations from the United States 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 FIA a lot with this. FIA is an entity that needs to send out an image of credibility,” Gracia said.
“But Max must come out of this with dignity. That’s what’s important.”
Mosley is the son of British Union of Fascists party founder Oswald Mosley, a former British politician who served in Parliament for the Labour and Conservative parties. Oswald Mosley, who had Adolf Hitler as a guest at his wedding, died in 1980.