Mosley apologizes over lurid reports

Max Mosley

Max Mosley, the president of Formula One's ruling body, the FIA, believes he was the victim of covert set-up regarding lurid allegations made against him and is taking legal action against the newspaper that published them.

"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 specializing in such things, for reasons and clients as yet unknown. I have had similar but less well-sourced information from France," Mosley said.

"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 publicizing 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."

Despite calls for Mosley to stand down from prominent F1 figures, including Sir Jackie Stewart, who said that his position was untenable, the FIA president intends to continue in his post and claims the backing of the governing body.

"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. I am grateful and with your support I intend to follow this advice.

"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." The Telegraph