Edward Gorman | April 09, 2008
THE crescendo of calls for Max Mosley to resign are only going to make him more determined to stay on, according to a friend of the FIA president.
With car companies, national motorsport federations, the Formula One paddock and well-known figures in the sport calling on him - or expecting him - to resign, Mosley has amazed and annoyed by refusing to accept his position is hopeless.
Mosley was the subject of a second set of lurid disclosures in the News of the World on Sunday, about an alleged Nazi-inspired sado-masochistic orgy, but last night a friend of his said it was not in the motorsport supremo's nature to give in. In fact, the tighter the corner, the more intransigent and pugnacious he would become.
"Max is not an individual who runs away from problems and he will solve the problems in the way he thinks is right. He is a fighter and he will fight," the friend said.
"Max must decide how he wants to handle the situation. But the more people want him to go, the more he will be determined not to."
The comments reflect fears that Mosley's future could turn into a stand-off between him and whatever allies he can muster, and the organisations and influential individuals who believe that he cannot continue.
With an extraordinary meeting of the FIA general assembly, which Mosley hopes will endorse him, not due to sit for weeks, the scandal threatens to cast a long shadow over this season's F1 championship and future FIA business.
Mosley's critics, and even his friends, believe he is likely to find himself in an impossible position, unable to do anything except conduct his legal action against the News of the World.
Yesterday Vijay Mallya, the flamboyant team principal of the Force India outfit, said he was shocked by the revelations and would consult members of his national association, of which he is president, to decide what to do.
"India is basically a conservative country. Whatever has appeared is quite shocking," Mallya said. "I have to respect the sentiments of my countrymen ... so we will have the unpleasant task of having to discuss this."
The billionaire added that he did not believe his team's sponsors would be put off by the scandal.
"They don't care or know who Mosley is," he said.
The Times