Spanish chief voices Mosley disapproval

The head of Spain’s motor-racing federation has suggested beleaguered FIA president Max Mosley should have stepped down over allegations about his private life – but insists the Englishman retains his “sporting respect”.

Associations in America, Germany, Holland, Israel and Austria have called for Mosley to resign in light of last month’s lurid newspaper report, while Red Bull Racing’s Mark Webber last week claimed he had brought the sport into “disrepute”.

While refusing to reveal his personal opinions on Mosley’s alleged behaviour, RFEDA president Carlos Gracia intimated that he would have stepped down had he been implicated in such a scandal.

“We all have a conscience,” he remarked.

“I know what I would have done, but I can’t ask for others to act in the same way.”

Despite his seeming disapproval of Mosley’s conduct, Gracia revealed that his sporting respect for the FIA president remains very much intact.

“When we chose Mr Mosley (for the FIA presidency), we didn’t choose him because of his sexual preferences or his personal life, but because he was the best man for the job,” he said.

“That sporting respect is still intact.”

Mosley’s future will be decided by a secret ballot in an FIA assembly in Paris on June 3.

The assembly brings together 222 national motoring organisations from 130 countries, when the FIA president will argue his case for remaining in charge.

Meanwhile, Mosley will not be attending this weekend’s Grand Prix in Barcelona, but has confirmed he will be present at next month’s race in Monaco.

“I will be going to the Monaco Grand Prix,” he said.

“I only went to one complete Formula One race last year. That was Monaco, and I was at the complete event because I live there.

“I was only in Spa (for the 2007 Belgian Grand Prix) because of the McLaren (spying) business and I never had any intentions of going to Barcelona because I had nothing to do there.”.

Mosley has revealed his desire to continue as president of the FIA until 2009 when he had planned to step down.