Motor racing chief Max Mosley (left) called into question a deal securing Formula One's future on Thursday in a letter demanding a public apology from Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo. --PHOTO: AP
LONDON - MOTOR racing chief Max Mosley called into question a deal securing Formula One's future on Thursday in a letter demanding a public apology from Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo.
FUTURE LEADERSHIP
'If you wish the agreement we made to have any chance of survival, you and Fota must immediately rectify your actions,' wrote Mr Mosley, whose father was the leader of Britain's pre-World War Two Fascist party.
'You must correct the false statements which have been made and make no further such statements. You yourself must issue a suitable correction and apology at your press conference this afternoon.' The letter was sent before Ms Montezemolo and team bosses met in Bologna on Thursday. A Ferrari spokesman had no comment on the letter.
In the document, seen by Reuters, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) president suggested that he could rethink his decision to stand down in October.
Mr Mosley said he and Mr Montezemolo had agreed a deal at a breakthrough meeting in Paris on Wednesday to 'present a positive and truthful account to the media' of what had happened.
That meeting ended the threat of a breakaway championship led by Ferrari, with teams accepting more cost cuts and Mr Mosley agreeing to step down.
The 69-year-old Briton said he had been 'astonished' to learn that the Formula One Teams Association (Fota) had subsequently been briefing the media against him.
He accused Mr Montezemolo and Fota of falsely suggesting that he had been forced out of office and would have no role in the FIA after October.
'Furthermore, you have suggested to the media that I was a 'dictator', an accusation which is grossly insulting to the 26 members of the world motor sport council who have discussed and voted all the rules and procedures of Formula One since the 1980s,' he added. -- REUTERS
