FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[McLaren Fan]

From autosport.com:

By Jonathan Noble Friday, April 11th 2008, 08:34 GMT

The FIA Senate's acceptance of Max Mosley's request to hold a general assembly meeting to discuss the controversy over his private life has done little to quell criticisms of the governing body's president.

With Mosley due to face a vote of confidence at the general assembly meeting on June 3, there had been a possibility of the matter being pushed out of the spotlight for several weeks.

But the news of the June meeting has in fact prompted further public comments from national motoring bodies, with Motorsport New Zealand the latest to come out and say Mosley should still step down.

The country's Automobile Association has already withdrawn an invitation for Mosley to attend a transport and environment summit in June, which would have clashed with the general assembly meeting anyway.

And now Motorsport New Zealand general manager Ross Armstrong has said it would be an 'excellent result' for Mosley to resign before the June 3 vote.

Speaking to Radio New Zealand, Armstrong said: "Sometimes it's better to go than be pushed."

Earlier this week, the Canadian Automobile Association joined the criticisms of Mosley in believing he should step down.

Leanne Maidment, director of communication for the CAA, was quoted as saying by the Press Association: "The recent events involving the leadership of the FIA have been distressing and it is CAA's position that the best resolution to this situation would be for Mr. Mosley to step down.

"CAA's relationship with FIA has been one that we value tremendously but we are extremely disturbed by recent media reports and the implications that this may have on CAA and other FIA members.

"Accordingly, CAA's President, Tim Shearman, sent a letter dated Friday, April 4th, to the FIA formally asking for Mr. Mosley's resignation. We hope that after careful consideration, he will do so."

The pressure keeps mounting on him. Mosley's decision to fight this out was embarrassing ages ago. I can't think of any words stronger than, well, I don't know, to describe the situation.

[6thsecondfaster]

Yeeeyyy!!! Lets keep the pressure. Mosley thought that he was smarter than everyone else by calling a meeting a month and a half in the future.

Mosley OUT and someone who is more understanding IN

[Martin]

I think that, just like Mugabe, MM will cling on until the last desperate minute. Its a good job that MM does not have the use of 'war veterans'!!

I suppose. from MMs point of view, he does have a serious problem. He is a man that needs power and authority, and even if he steps down 'honourably' (although I think that the time has passed even for that, it would only been honourable if he had stepped down immediately.) no-one would touch him with a barge pole, where could he go? Back to being a barrister? Laughing stock he would be in the profession?
I don't really care Max, just 'go forth and multiply'.

he has the reputation of being a 'hard' man but the girls claimed that he was not!!

[8-ball]

he has the reputation of being a 'hard' man but the girls claimed that he was not!!

HA HA! That doesn't surprise me at all!

Max will fight but this is the best chance anyone has of getting rid of him. i hope the FIA do the right thing, be a man and give a vote of no confidence.

[McLaren Fan]

There is a lot more at stake than just Mosley's career, but the whole credibility of the FIA. Many are already happy Mosley has not resigned already and that the FIA have allowed him to stay until at least June.

[McLaren Fan]

From autosport.com:

Hill: Mosley should reconsider position

By Pablo Elizalde Monday, April 14th 2008, 09:18 GMT

Damon HillFormer world champion and current BRDC president Damon Hill believes FIA president Max Mosley should reconsider his position after the revelations about his private life.

Several people have urged Mosley to quit since the revelations in the News of the World newspaper, and the governing body's chief will face a vote of confidence later this year.

Hill believes that, even leaving his private life aside, Mosley should reconsider his position for the sake of the sport's image.

"None of us wants to be moralising about individuals, but there has to be an element here to do with the image of the sport, and the ability of the premier representative of the sport in the world to continue to engage with a politic concerned about values," Hill was quoted as saying by the Times newspaper.

"It's a practical issue, but it's also a marketing issue.

"Businesses connected with the sport want a positive image, and politicians want to engage with it because they know motorsport people support those values."

Despite the calls for resignation, Mosley has made it clear he had no plans to step down and said he had done nothing wrong.

Mosley will face the vote of confidence in a meeting on June 3 in Paris.

It is, of course, pointless to say, but Mosley will not take a blind bit of notice of this, but hopefully the people at the FIA will be.

[Martin]

From autosport.com:

Hill: Mosley should reconsider position

By Pablo Elizalde Monday, April 14th 2008, 09:18 GMT

Damon HillFormer world champion and current BRDC president Damon Hill believes FIA president Max Mosley should reconsider his position after the revelations about his private life.

Several people have urged Mosley to quit since the revelations in the News of the World newspaper, and the governing body's chief will face a vote of confidence later this year.

Hill believes that, even leaving his private life aside, Mosley should reconsider his position for the sake of the sport's image.

"None of us wants to be moralising about individuals, but there has to be an element here to do with the image of the sport, and the ability of the premier representative of the sport in the world to continue to engage with a politic concerned about values," Hill was quoted as saying by the Times newspaper.

"It's a practical issue, but it's also a marketing issue.

"Businesses connected with the sport want a positive image, and politicians want to engage with it because they know motorsport people support those values."

Despite the calls for resignation, Mosley has made it clear he had no plans to step down and said he had done nothing wrong.

Mosley will face the vote of confidence in a meeting on June 3 in Paris.

It is, of course, pointless to say, but Mosley will not take a blind bit of notice of this, but hopefully the people at the FIA will be.

I read this too, I contacted Sturat Pringle (secretary BRDC)
Here is my message and Stuarts reply:-

Good afternoon, Following Damon's comments and view that Max Moseley's position within the FIA is now untenable, I would like to ascertain the position of the BRDC on this issue.

As Damon says, this is not just an issue about M.M.s private life, its an issue about the image of a worldwide governing body. You will be aware of the comments and resignation demands from many senior figures within the sport, and from other groups such as the Jewish people. There has also been strong condemnation from various other national governing bodies.
Even if we disregard the issues of whether this was a private issue or not, the fact is that MMs reputation is now such that he will not be acceptable to many groups and teams, and that alone makes his position untenable.
MM has brought professional motor sport into disrepute.
There is a further issue in that there are 1000s of fans who believe that MM should go. It sometimes seems that the F1 industry is very introspective and fans views are not taken into consideration on any issue.
The facts are however, that all professional motorsport exists solely because of the fans. No fans = no sponsors, no sponsors = no sport. The trouble is though, for us fans, that F1 generally, and the FIA in particular is unapproachable, indeed, certainly since the presidency of MM, the FIA is a fortress built on arrogance and this inability for fans to have a say on important issues is frustrating and, is, initself, damaging the sport. I have written to the FIA on this issue but have had no response, which is, unfortunately, what I expected.

Stuart, will you please undertake to make a BRDC statement to the FIA (or, if you have already could I please see a copy - thanks) and would you also please make reference to the large numbers of fans who are dissatisfied with the current position.
My information re fans comes from my examination of various F1 forum around the world. Not very scientific but it does show a huge dissatisfaction by serious fans, both with MM and with the inability to have any serious influence in proceedings.

Thank you for your attention, and I look forward to your support.

Many fans feel that we need a strong figurehead to represent fans within the governing body, Damon would fit that bill perfectly. Could you please make this suggestion to him - thank you once again.

Martin

Damon made his comment in a private capacity and not, as he made clear, as the President of the BRDC.

The BRDC has yet to make a statement on the matter.

Your point about fans having a voice is well made.

Regards

Stuart

It seems a shame that BRDC have made no comment yet. Still, Stuart seems to accept the point about fans having some influence in major issues in future.

[McLaren Fan]

Good e-mail, shame about the reply.

[7UpJordan]

Well said Damon. I wonder what people who have passed-on would have had to say? People like Senna, Gilles, Chapman, Uncle Ken and Dr Harvey etc.

[Jensonb]

Martin

Damon made his comment in a private capacity and not, as he made clear, as the President of the BRDC.

The BRDC has yet to make a statement on the matter.

Your point about fans having a voice is well made.

Regards

Stuart

That...That sounded an awful lot like a brush off. Here's hoping they do the sensible thing.

[darwin dali]

DH represent fans? BS - he's an ex-driver. A fan representative should be a long-time F1 fan, not a pro.

[bud]

the Brit motorsporting bodys should grow some balls and stand up to this tyrant!

[Rivelution]

All these driver's, teams, and ex world champions just need to stop with the sweet talk. Instead of saying "he needs to resign for the sake of the sport." What they really need to start saying is "this guy has to resign because he is a dirty, filthy arsehole!!!"

[bud]

All these driver's, teams, and ex world champions just need to stop with the sweet talk. Instead of saying "he needs to resign for the sake of the sport." What they really need to start saying is "this guy has to resign because he is a dirty, filthy arsehole!!!"

Kinda like what Paul Stoddart said

[McLaren Fan]

the Brit motorsporting bodys should grow some balls and stand up to this tyrant!

We fought the Nazis off in the Second World War. Why not fight another Nazi now? (They're probably terrified of Ecclestone cutting the tiny thread holding Silverstone on the Formula One calendar.)

From autosport.com:

South African body tells Mosley to quit

By Steven English Wednesday, April 16th 2008, 12:42 GMT

Max MosleySouth Africa today became the latest nation to have their motoring association call for Max Mosley to step down in the wake of the scandal surrounding his private life.

Motorsport South Africa managing director Beaulah Schoeman declared that the country will vote against the FIA president when the governing body's members meet next month to discuss his future.

"Every single board member agrees that Max Mosley should step down," she told the Associated Press.

"I haven't seen the video but people's private lives don't concern us. It brings not only the FIA, but motorsport, into disrepute."

The FIA extraordinary general assembly meeting will take place in Paris on June 3, when over 200 members will take part in a vote of confidence in Mosley.

The American, Canadian, and Dutch associations have already demanded that he step down, while federations in Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and Israel have all questioned his position.

But Mosley has made it clear that he has no intention of quitting and claims to have the backing of a large number of country's federations.

So far, only the Automobile and Touring Club of the United Arab Emirates has publicly stated that it supports his stance in not resigning over the matter.

Apart from the UAE, I would really like to know who actually has backed Mosley. I mean, you don't much bigger than Toyota, Honda, BMW, Mercedes, AAA et al., all of whom don't support him.