Former F1 president Max Mosley dies at 81

FIA president for 16 years (1993-2009) passes away after a long battle with cancer. Max Mosley was also the chairman of Euro and Global NCAP from 1997-2004 and used the motorsport platform to promote safety

Former FIA president, Max Mosley passed away at the age of 81 after a long battle with cancer. Ex-Formula 1 Group CEO, Bernie Ecclestone confirmed the news on Monday.

Mosley studied at the Oxford University, where he read physics, but later trained as a lawyer and became a barrister. His love for motor racing began at the University with Mosley going on to race in Formula 2 for Brabham and Lotus. By the end of 1969, Mosley established March Racing Team with Bernie Ecclestone that claimed two victories in 1970. Mosley went on to become the representative of the Formula One Constructors Association and drafted the first Concorde Agreement in 1981. He was elected as the FIA president in 1993 and served three terms before stepping down in 2009 due to personal tragedy – when his son Alexander died aged 39. Mosley led the privacy rights campaign after he won a court case against the newspaper under the UK’s privacy laws.

Jean Todt, Mosley's successor as (and current) President of the FIA said in a tweet, "Deeply saddened by the passing of Max Mosley. He was a major figure in F1 and motorsport. As FIA President for 16 years, he strongly contributed to reinforcing safety on track and on the roads.”

During his first tenure as the FIA president, Mosley played a key role in increasing safety within motorsport following the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994. "He did, a lot of good things not just for motorsport, also the (car) industry. He was very good at making sure people built cars that were safe," said Ecclestone. Max also led the Euro NCAP and Global NCAP as the chairman from 1997 to 2004.

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