Max Mosley President of the International Automobile Association (FIA) Date of Birth: 13.04.1940 Country: Great Britain

1. Max Rufus Mosley: President of FIA
2. Early Life and Education
3. Early Political Involvement and Career in Motorsports
4. March Engineering and FOCA
5. The Conflict between FISA and FOCA
6. Safety and Reform Efforts
7. Personal Life and Controversies

Max Rufus Mosley: President of FIA

Max Rufus Mosley was born on April 13, 1940, in London. He has been the president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) since 1993, responsible for the organization and technical regulations of the Formula One and Rally World Championships. Mosley participated in the European Formula 2 Championship in 1967-1968. He was one of the founders and owners of the Formula 1 March team and company from 1969 to 1977. He served as a legal consultant for FOCA from 1977 to 1982. In June 2009, Mosley announced that he would step down as FIA president in the fall of 2009.

Early Life and Education

Max Rufus Mosley was born on April 13, 1940, in London. His father, Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, was a well-known British politician who was a member of the House of Commons in the 1920s and became the leader of the British Union of Fascists in 1932. Max's mother was Diana Mitford, a British aristocrat. Shortly after Max's birth, his parents, along with other British fascists, were interned in 1940 and were released from prison only on November 16, 1943. Due to his father's political beliefs, Max was homeschooled as no British school would accept him. He later attended Christ Church, a prestigious college at the University of Oxford, and graduated in 1961 with a degree in physics. He then decided to become a lawyer and enrolled at Gray's Inn, a specialized educational institution for training lawyers. After completing his studies, Mosley joined the Bar Council and practiced patent law until 1969.

Early Political Involvement and Career in Motorsports

From childhood, Max Mosley adhered to the same political views as his parents and participated in the activities of the Union Movement, a party founded by Oswald Mosley after the war. However, due to the marginalization of the party, he decided to focus on his legal career. In 1960, Max Mosley married Jean Taylor, a fellow member of the Union Movement whom he met at Oxford. During the summer of 1961, Jean gave him two tickets to a car race at Silverstone. Mosley developed a strong interest in motorsports. His successful legal practice provided him with a good income, which allowed him to pursue his passion for racing. From 1966 to 1967, Mosley competed in a total of 40 races in the British Championship. In 1968-1969, he participated in Formula 2 (F2) races, even competing on equal terms with Formula 1 champion Graham Hill in some events. However, after the death of F1 champion Jim Clark in an F2 race and several accidents of his own, Mosley decided to retire from racing but remained involved in motorsports.

March Engineering and FOCA

In 1969, Mosley, along with Robin Herd, Alan Rees, and Graham Coaker, founded March Engineering, a company that manufactured racing cars. Mosley was responsible for the financial policies of the company and negotiations with sponsors. In 1970, March managed to sell several cars to leading Formula 1 teams, including Tyrrell, and established its own factory team. The teams using March chassis achieved success. In 1971, the March factory team showed promising results, although they had signed a contract with Alfa Romeo, which supplied very poor engines. Driver Ronnie Peterson managed to secure second place in the drivers' championship. Mosley then decided to focus on creating racing cars for lower formula series and dismissed Alan Rees, who advocated for the development of the Formula 1 racing department. In 1977, Mosley sold his share in March. In 1971, Mosley met Bernie Ecclestone, who had recently become the owner of the Brabham team. They were both members of the Grand Prix Constructors' Association (GPCA) and soon became business partners. In 1974, Mosley and Ecclestone were instrumental in creating the Formula One Constructors' Association (FOCA), which represented the racing teams and was a competitor to the official governing body of the championships, the FISA. Ecclestone became the head of FOCA, and in late 1977, Mosley was appointed as the organization's legal advisor.

The Conflict between FISA and FOCA

In 1979, a protracted conflict arose between FISA and FOCA over the distribution of television broadcasting revenues and regulation of technical standards. As one of the main representatives of FOCA, Mosley participated in negotiations between the two organizations. This led to the signing of the so-called Concorde Agreement, which granted FOCA all rights to television broadcasting and revenue distribution, while FISA was responsible for technical regulations. The agreement also required teams to participate in all championship races. In 1991, Mosley was offered the position of FISA president and was elected by 43 votes to 29. He was re-elected the following year, and in 1993, together with Ecclestone, he successfully reformed the FIA, resulting in the abolition of FISA and the election of a new president. Mosley became the president of FIA in 1993, thereby strengthening Ecclestone's position and extending FOCA's broadcasting rights for the Formula 1 championship to 100 years.

Safety and Reform Efforts

Due to a series of accidents in Formula 1 races resulting in fatalities, including the death of three-time Brazilian champion Ayrton Senna in 1994, Mosley focused on reforming the technical regulations of the sport. Thanks to his innovations, races became safer for both drivers and spectators. Mosley also actively proposed initiatives to make motorsport competitions more entertaining and environmentally friendly.

Personal Life and Controversies

Max Mosley resides in Monaco with his wife, Jean Taylor. They have one son, Patrick Max, as their eldest son, Alexander James, tragically passed away in 2009. In 2008, a British newspaper published a video on its website showing Mosley engaging in sexual activities with five prostitutes in a public establishment. The newspaper claimed that it was a sadomasochistic orgy with Nazi symbolism. Mosley admitted that he was the person in the video but denied any Nazi context to the orgy, accusing the newspaper of invading his privacy. Despite the scandal, Mosley refused to resign and only announced his departure after teams affiliated with the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) declared their disagreement with the regulations for the 2010 championship and decided to hold their own championship. One of the compromises reached in June 2009 was Mosley's departure from the presidency of FIA.

Overall, Max Mosley has played a significant role in the governance and development of motorsports, particularly in Formula 1, through his roles in March Engineering, FOCA, and FIA. He has been credited with improving safety standards and initiating reforms to enhance the sport's appeal and environmental impact. However, his career has also been marred by personal controversies and scandals.