Max Mosley has vowed to continue as FIA president despite the scandal about his private life that broke last Sunday.
In a letter sent to the FIA's members and constituent bodies on Tuesday, Mosley apologised for the embarrassment the revelations about his involvement with prostitutes had caused.
But he flatly rejected the most damaging aspect of the News of the World story – describing the claim that he took part in Nazi role-playing as “entirely false”.
He also implied he was the victim of a set-up, claiming the publicity about his sexual conduct was the product of a “covert investigation” into his private life and constituted a “deliberate and calculated personal attack”.
And he confirmed that he plans to sue the News of the World for invading his privacy.
The letter – sent to all presidents of the national FIA clubs, all members of the FIA Senate, the World Motor Sport Council and the World Council for Mobility and the Automobile – begins as follows:
“From information provided to me by an impeccable high-level source close to the UK police and security services, I understand that over the last two weeks or so, 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.
“I have had similar but less well-sourced information from France.
“Regrettably you are now familiar with the results of this covert investigation and I am very sorry if this has embarrassed you or the club.
“Not content with publicising highly personal and private activities, which are, to say the least, embarrassing, a British tabloid newspaper published the story with the claim that there was some sort of Nazi connotation to the matter.
“This is entirely false.
“It is against the law in most countries to publish details of a person's private life without good reason.
“The publications by the News of the World are a wholly unwarranted invasion of my privacy and I intend to issue legal proceedings against the newspaper in the UK and other jurisdictions.”
There have been calls for Mosley’s resignation from some quarters, notably Jewish groups and 1979 world champion Jody Scheckter.
But F1’s commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone maintains that Mosley has every right to continue as FIA president because his sexual activities are a private matter and do not affect his ability to do the job.
In his letter Mosley claims this reflects a widely held view within the sport and states his intention to stay on.
“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,” he wrote.
“I am grateful and with your support I intend to follow this advice.”
Despite voicing his support for Mosley, Ecclestone has advised his long-time friend to cancel a planned visit to this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, admitting his attendance would displease the Bahraini royal family.
Mosley hinted in the letter that he will heed this advice, writing: “I shall now devote some time to those responsible for putting this into the public domain but above all I need to repair the damage to my immediate family who are the innocent and unsuspecting victims of this deliberate and calculated personal attack.
“You can, however, be certain that I will not allow any of this to impede my commitment to the work of the FIA.”
