Mosley To Attend Monaco Grand Prix Without Official Functions
May 16, 2008
The 68-year-old has not attended a Formula One race yet this season, with Bahrain’s royal family making clear that his presence at that grand prix last month was unwelcome.
Mosley, who lives in Monaco, will be present at next week’s race in that principality without attending official functions.
The FIA and organisers denied that he had been sidelined to prevent embarrassing public meetings between him and Prince Albert II.
Italian Marco Piccinini, deputy president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and a Monaco citizen, will be present at the prize-giving and gala dinner instead of Mosley, the FIA president.
The Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM) said Piccinini also represented the FIA at Mosley’s request at the Monte Carlo Rally gala in January, long before the scandal broke.
“The ACM was informed some time ago that it was agreed between Mr. Mosley and Mr. Piccinini that the same procedure would be adopted for the Monaco Grand Prix,” the statement said.
“Mr. Mosley will be in attendance throughout the event in the normal way in his capacity as FIA President and any suggestion to the contrary is entirely erroneous.”
Already high-profile names within the sport have raised their concerns over the financial implications as a result of Mosley’s sex scandal.
Red Bull Racing team driver Mark Webber voiced his fears when he said the episode had “brought the sport into disrepute”.
“Whether we like it or not, all of us in Formula one are role models and F1 simply cannot have scandals of this type. He is in a very influential position and it’s a very important role that he has. It makes it difficult when any of these sort of scandals are involved, when they become public. It will be more challenging for him to do his role,” Webber added.
With four of the top manufacturers also adding their disquiet, Mosley is running out of time to retain his position even though he has claimed that he has received support from 20 FIA clubs and representatives of 50 others.
