Mosley confirms he will stand down in 2009

31/07/2008

Despite widespread speculation that following his victory in the High Court he will reconsider his previous decision to stand down as FIA President next year, Max Mosley has confirmed that he has every intention of retiring.

"There are a large number of people in the FIA who are saying that I must run again in 2009," he told Italy's Gazzetta Dello Sport. "I don't want to, because to be very, very honest, I want to stop going to work every day."

The Englishman, who is in the process of launching a number of libel actions against various newspapers, says that an investigation is currently underway as to who set him up, confirming that in January, Bernie Ecclestone warned him that someone was out to get him.

"Bernie gave me the name of someone who is not that distant from Formula One," he said, "we shall see, soon all will be revealed."

Referring to the outcry that followed the News of the World's exposing of elements of his private life, Mosley added: "One time homosexuals and transvestites were criticised and in England homosexuality was a crime. "There were even homosexuals in Formula One. But everyone does what they want in their private life because it doesn't hurt anyone. Those that criticise are those that think sex is just the classic missionary position."

Once this weekend's Hungarian GP is out of the way, Mosley, like the rest of F1 will head off for the summer break, a welcome chance for the Englishman to try and spend some time with his family, a family which has been shattered by the News of the World's revelations and the subsequent media hysteria over his private life.

"Obviously she was not very happy," he admitted, referring to his wife Jean, "actually she was very angry but in the end we will not be divorcing. It was all very embarrassing for my family. Apart from the Nazi element it was all true."

Referring to claims that his actions, in Chelsea and in the law courts, had damaged F1, he said: "They say that I compromised the image of Formula One and that of its sponsors but I don't even know any sponsors and another thing how many fans has Formula One lost because of me? None I believe."