Mosley to step down

Mosley came to power as president of FISA, the sporting arm of the FIA, in 1991. He beat controversial leader Jean-Marie Balestre, and successfully brought the FISA and the FIA together two years later.

As president of the FIA, Mosley has twice been re-elected. Recently, he has proposed a restructure of the FIA in October 2005. In a letter to all the affiliated ASNs, he has suggested that the president of the worldwide association should not deal directly with motorsport matters as well as time-consuming political affairs affecting the passenger car industry, and that the World Motor Sport Council should instead be chaired by the FIA's deputy president.

Ferrari's Jean Todt has been touted as a prime candidate for this role. Mosley said on the subject: "Todt has worked and won in every major branch of motorsport. I think he's the only person who's done that. After Ferrari, he might feel as I do and see the fascination of trying to make the bigger picture work. And if he did that, I think he'd be very effective. In fact, I think he'd be brilliant."

Mosley was scheduled to stand down in October 2005, which means that an interim president could be appointed before new elections take place next year.

Mosley practised as a barrister between 1964 and 1969 during which time he also raced Formula 2 cars. In 1969 he co-founded March Engineering with Robin Herd, Graham Coaker and Alan Rees. The company entered F1 in 1970 and Mosley later joined the F1 commission and the FISA executive comittee in 1978.

He played a prominent part for FOCA alongside Bernie Ecclestone during the FISA/FOCA war that raged between 1980 and 1982, and has kept a close allegiance with Ecclestone ever since.

Mosley left motor racing in 1983, only to return in 1986 to become the president of the FISA manufacturers commission.