Mosley snubbed by manufacturers

2008-05-24 22:51

Monaco - The big money players in Formula One, the companies that supply the engines for the teams, turned down an invitation to meet FIA president Max Mosley here at the Monaco Grand Prix, according to reliable reports.

The respected and widely-read website autosport.com said that the engine manufacturers decision was partly to do with a procedural objection to the meeting, but also a desire to avoid meeting Mosley while he is embroiled in a lurid sex scandal.

The car-makers began discussing future engine regulations, with a major overhaul planned from 2013 before the Monaco Grand Prix and, following a meeting held in Monte Carlo Thursday, were invited to continue their discussions.

According to the website, representatives of BMW, Ferrari, Honda, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and Renault were invited to Mosley's Monaco office on Friday afternoon.

But instead of attending, the manufacturers wrote a joint letter to FIA technical delegate Charlie Whiting informing him that they did not want to attend and asked to defer these discussions for at least two more weeks.

The letter to Whiting, signed by representatives of the six manufacturers and reportedly seen by autosport.com asked for more time to prepare for the meeting.

The letter did not make any reference to Mosley himself, said the website, which claimed that some of the car makers were keen to "delay the meeting because they were nervous about the possibility of coming face-to-face with the FIA president while he is embroiled in a public sex scandal."

Mosley is due to face a vote of confidence on his role as FIA president at an Extraordinary General Assembly meeting in Paris on June 3.

His visit to the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend is his first time at an F1 race since the News of the World made revelations about his private life, almost two months ago.

- AFP