Former FIA President Max Mosley Dies Aged 81

Former FIA president Max Mosley has died aged 81.

Mosley was in charge at FIA between 1993 and 2009 and his death was confirmed in a short statement by his family.

“The family of Max Mosley can confirm that he died last night after a long battle with cancer,” read the statement.

“They ask to be allowed to grieve in private.”

Bernie Ecclestone, who worked alongside Mosley as the pair completely transformed Formula 1 during their respective careers and paid him a heartfelt tribute.

“Really, in a funny way we were like brothers,” Ecclestone told GPFans. “We trusted in each other.”

One of the factor’s of Mosley’s ensuring legacy will be his commitment to ensuring driver safety.

Following the death of Ayrton Senna, he dedicated himself entirely to working to investigate, reinforce and improve all race cars and circuits to ensure that such a tragedy could never happen again.

With zero deaths during the rest of his time in charge, his tireless work was rewarded.

The scandal that brought about his downfall

In 2009, the News of the World published an infamous front page about Mosley’s sex life, leading to many teams asking for him to resign. A month later, Jean Todt replaced him after a majority vote.

Ecclestone lamented his failure to support his friend at that difficult time.

“The worst thing in my life, that upset me more than anything, was that I didn’t support him when he had his bloody problems,” Ecclestone said.

“But apart from that we never had a cross word or anything. We were friends for many years.

“Max [Mosley] was a very genuine, straightforward guy that didn’t like too much bulls**t, and people doing things they shouldn’t do, saying things they shouldn’t say. He was very firm in that way.”

F1 has lost one of the most influential figures in its history, not only for transforming it into one of the most popular sports worldwide, but also the man who fought tooth and nail to ensure the safety of every driver.