The fallout has started following yesterday s extraordinary general meeting where disgraced FIA president Max Mosley was given a vote of confidence by 103 votes to 55 votes.
Germany s national motoring association, ADAC, was the first big organisation to react to the vote of confidence by saying that they regretted the result and would be withdrawing all involvement with the FIA. ADAC, who are the largest automobile club in Europe, have said that they will not consider involvement with the FIA for as long as Mosley is president.
A statement from ADAC reads, “With regret and incomprehension, the ADAC has learned from the decision by the General Assembly of the FIA in Paris to confirm Max Mosley in his function as president of the FIA.
“For Europe’s largest motoring club, this is a reason to put down all its functions and the involvement in the global organisation of motoring clubs with immediate effect and to step down from the globally active FIA working groups.
“The ADAC will stick to this attitude as long as Max Mosley will be on duty as president of the FIA.
“After the affair became public on March 30, 2008, the ADAC insistently called upon Mosley in a personal letter to step down in order to avoid any harm being done to the FIA and its institutions. This was done in close co-operation with other major motoring clubs within this global organisation.
“The service portfolio for ADAC members will by no means be affected by the decision now taken. This is being ensured by a closely-knit worldwide network that the ADAC has already established for a long time and that is working very effectively.
“The services will be carried out without any compromises by its own companies as well as by European and global organisations in which the club is participating.”
Several other clubs most notably the American Automobile Association and the Dutch motoring body ANWB are considering following ADAC s lead and withdrawing activity from the FIA.
Bernie Ecclestone has also voiced his opinion over the vote and has said he hopes that the decision to allow Mosley to continue as FIA president will not damage F1. Talking to Reuters he said, “It is business as usual as far as I’m concerned. I hope it hasn’t destabilised sponsors or manufacturers.
“I’ve always said publicly that I thought he should stand down at the end of the year. We are now in a position where nobody quite knows (what will happen). All those who said things in the past, I don’t imagine they are going to change their opinion now.
“It’s going to be difficult for him to act as a president of the FIA if the people who said before that they don’t want to meet with him maintain that position.”
Other clubs have called for the matter to be closed and for motor sport to move on.
The British Motor Sports Association has said that it respected the result of the vote and that motor sport needed to move on. “The Motor Sports Association respects the decision of the FIA General Assembly concerning President Mosley and considers that it is now time to move on and for the sport to pull together,” an MSA statement read.
“The Motor Sports Association looks forward to continuing to work constructively as an important member of the FIA in the future.”
BMW s motor sport boss Mario Theissen has also urged people to focus on the racing. “The relevant bodies of the FIA have passed a vote of confidence in Max Mosley, which means he will see out his term of office as President of the FIA, ending in October 2009,” Theissen said.
“We respect this decision, which was made by the delegates in full knowledge of the facts. It is important now for everyone concerned to turn their undivided attention back to the sport.”
