MONTE CARLO, Monaco — FIA president Max Mosley moved to end his feud with Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone on Friday.
The two men have been at odds since last week when Mosley, who is embroiled in a sex scandal, made public a letter he sent to FIA’s 200 member federations arguing that F1’s future would be at stake should he be forced to resign as head of auto racing’s governing body.
Formula One Management — owned by Ecclestone — is negotiating with FIA to extend its commercial rights with F1. Mosley had said that any instability in the presidency would give the company the chance “to take over Formula One completely.”
Ecclestone wrote to the federations Thursday to say that FIA should remain the regulatory body for F1 and to counter Mosley’s assertion that F1 is in a financial crisis.
“The FIA welcomes the constructive approach the commercial rights holder is now taking in the current negotiations,” the FIA said Friday.
Ecclestone is looking for clarity on how F1 is run. He wants to renegotiate the Concorde Agreement, which sets the terms by which teams compete in races and share television revenue and prize money.
He also wants to examine the 100-year agreement signed between the FIA and F1 in 2001 that gave him the commercial rights.
“There are some ambiguities in the drafting of these agreements, however, and we have sought discussions with the FIA president to clarify these points and to avoid unintended consequences,” Ecclestone wrote. “We have also raised with him a number of other issues which we considered would improve the agreements without damaging the FIA’s interests, but we accept that is a matter for the FIA to judge.”
Ecclestone contended that Mosley used the letter to try to deflect attention from the sex scandal.
Mosley was reported by a British tabloid to have engaged in a Nazi-themed sex party with five prostitutes. He admits to engaging in activities with the women, but is suing The News of the World over the allegations a Nazi theme.
Mosley wants to remain as the head of FIA for his fourth term, which ends in October 2009. His fate will be decided by secret ballot at a special assembly in Paris on June 3.
Mosley and Ecclestone were two of the founding members of the Formula One Constructors Association, which was created in 1974 to represent the commercial interests of the teams at meetings with the governing body.
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