Embattled Mosley pledges to fight on

MAX MOSLEY has apologised to motorsport’s world governing body, the FIA, for any embarrassment caused following revelations about his private life.

And in a defiant statement in which the FIA president refers to a “covert investigation” to discredit him, Mosley has also vowed to remain in office.

A Sunday newspaper printed lurid allegations about Mosley, who has been in charge of world motorsport since 1993.

Mosley has written a letter to all the presidents of the national FIA clubs, all members of the FIA Senate, the World Motor Sport Council and the World Council for Mobility and the Automobile.

Mosley writes: “From information provided to me by an impeccable high-level source close to the UK police and security services, I understand that over the last two weeks or so, a covert investigation of my private life and background has been undertaken by a group specialising in such things, for reasons as yet unknown.

“Regrettably you are now familiar with the results of this covert investigation, and I am very sorry if this has embarrassed you or the club.

“Not content with publicising highly personal and private activities, which are, to say the least, embarrassing, a British tabloid newspaper published the story with the claim that there was some sort of Nazi connotation to the matter. This is entirely false.

“It is against the law in most countries to publish details of a person’s private life without good reason.

“The publication by The News of the World is a wholly unwarranted invasion of my privacy and I intend to issue legal proceedings against the newspaper.”

However despite the lurid headlines Mosley has insisted he will remain at his post, adding: “I have received a very large number of messages of sympathy and support from those within the FIA and the motor sport, suggesting that my private life is not relevant to my work and that I should continue in my role. I am grateful and with your support I intend to follow this advice.’’