Stewart and Moseley in F1 power struggle

Published on Sunday 10 April 2005 00:44

FORMULA One motor racing has become embroiled in power struggles involving two of its leading figures - former three-times world champion Sir Jackie Stewart and Max Moseley.

Several national motor racing bodies are lobbying for Stewart to replace Moseley as the president of the ruling Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).

However, Stewart is also facing calls for Moseley to be removed from the board of the British Racing Drivers’ Club which runs the Silverstone race track and of which he is president.

Moseley is under increasing criticism for being too close to Bernie Ecclestone, the 75-year-old British billionaire who runs the sport worldwide. On Friday, nine of the 10 Formula One teams plan to boycott a showdown meeting with Moseley as they continue to plot a breakaway from the current setup. Only Ferrari will attend.

The others, backed by manufacturers BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Honda, Renault and Toyota, have signed up for a rival series, called Grand Prix Racing. The so-called "Gang of Nine" will meet on Thursday in a deliberate snub to Moseley.

A source close the teams said it was "only a matter of time" before Moseley was forced out. "He’s been imperial about his decision-making to bring in regulations he has imposed which have cost the teams tens of millions of pounds and some of those changes have been shown to have been of no benefit."

The grouping of national organisations who are government-supported and, in effect, run the grand prix are lobbying behind the scenes to get Stewart to replace Moseley.

A group led by former chairman Ray Bellm, who was sacked in January, have called an extraordinary general meeting for next month at which the 500 members will vote.

"It’s pretty close to open warfare," Stewart admitted. "I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s been a concerted effort by a small group of people to create an enormous amount of agitation and that’s not good for our club and not good for British motor sport."