MADRID, Spain — With a London court counting every lash administered to Max Mosley’s body during a five-hour masochistic sex romp, the real sting is being felt by the embittered automobile clubs that failed to dislodge the chief of motor sports’ governing body.
Mosley’s lawsuit against the British tabloid that reported the sex scandal continues to create unwanted publicity for the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile and its member clubs, of which a small, disgruntled group wants to form a separate body to guard the interests of motorists worldwide.
Despite paying five prostitutes to perform sex acts that The News of the World said had Nazi overtones, Mosley survived a confidence vote to remain through October 2009 as president of the FIA, which oversees Formula One racing.
That June 3 vote in Paris exposed a split in the FIA ranks as several high-profile clubs threatened to break away. That hasn’t happened, but discussions are “moving forward” according to American Automobile Association president Robert Darbelnet, who says that six of the world’s leading auto clubs are currently discussing how to set up an alternate governing body or one to work alongside the FIA.
“There are ongoing discussions between the major automobile clubs on the mobility side. From those discussions, we could come up with an alternate form or structure, which is what it would take,” Darbelnet told the Associated Press. “We need to define the best type of structure. I don’t see people getting off the boat and on another one without some kind of assurances.”
The Nazi link was disproved, but thanks to the 68-year-old Oxford-educated Englishman’s lawsuit, the general public knows that Mosley paid $70,000 for a professional dominatrix who set up sex parties like the one where he received 88 violent strokes, including 21 lashes from a 5-foot whip and cane.
“A byproduct of the decision and the current court case has meant continued media interest in an unattractive event that doesn’t contribute positively to the FIA or to the clubs,” Darbelnet said.
Mosley’s ironclad grip on the FIA means clubs have no say on whether or not he should have pursued such a case.
“Of course this debate is not good for the FIA. But it’s up to him (to pursue the case), it’s up to him all the time,” said Kage Schildt, president of Sweden’s national federation, which is not following the AAA’s lead.
A Dutch federation member had said that most of Mosley’s support came from smaller clubs — which hold equal sway in terms of voting power — among the 220 members because of the money they received from the FIA. Darbelnet agreed that could affect a vote, but said that was part of the game and not something that was easy to “remedy.”
“When clubs join they do so with the knowing assumption that this is how it works — one club, one vote,” he said. “We have no firsthand knowledge of what has been offered that would have swayed the vote. (Smaller clubs) depend on the assistance that they receive from the FIA and they would not want to jeopardize that.”
The Jamaican Automobile Association depends on the FIA for technical assistance and educational materials and wasn’t concerned about Mosley’s lawsuit.
“This is why we have to be careful at the end of the day; we are getting the assistance that we didn’t get in the past,” said JAA general manager Alan Beckford, pointing out road safety campaigns like “Think Before You Drive” and “Make Cars Green”. “There’s no way I would be able to normally afford them, even if it’s something I would want to do.”
In the meantime, the governing body is likely to remain divided until next year’s vote.
“We haven’t had any communication from the FIA (since the vote). Nothing,” said Darbelnet, who represents more than 50 million American motorists.
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