Max Mosley, Former FIA President & Global NCAP Chairman, Dies At 81

Former President of Formula One's governing body, the FIA, Max Mosley has died at the age of 81. He was the youngest son of controversial British politician Oswald Mosley, founder of the British Union of Fascists, and Diana Mitford. Max is survived by his wife Jean Mosley. He began his motorsport career in the 1960s competing as a driver in Formula 2 and later went on to found the March Engineering team. He also dealt with legal matters for F1 teams as an advisor to the Formula One Constructors' Association (FOCA) in the late 1970s. He was appointed as the FIA President in 1993 and continued to hold on to the position till 2009.

Deeply saddened by the passing of Max Mosley.He was a major figure in @F1 & motor sport. As @FIA President for 16 years, he strongly contributed to reinforcing safety on track & on the roads. The entire FIA community pays tribute to him. Our thoughts & prayers are with his family pic.twitter.com/iFcHzBHaWX

— Jean Todt (@JeanTodt) May 24, 2021

Mosley was instrumental in improving the safety standards in F1 during his tenure, following the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. He also played an important role in drawing up the first version of the Concorde Agreement, which continues to form the basis of the newer contract agreements that bind the F1 teams to the championships.

Max Mosley in attendance at the 2018 carandbike Auto Expo Excellence awards

At FOCA, Mosley closely worked with Bernie Ecclestone for decades, who would go on head F1 following his stepping down. The Brit though stepped down when stories about his sex life appeared in the British press. He later became a major campaigner for stronger celebrity privacy laws.

Sorry to hear this news... First met Max when he visited Madras in 1995 & always found him to be great company. Had his detractors but wasn't afraid to make bold or unpopular decisions in F1.

Played a huge role in safety of road cars through his work with global NCAP standards. https://t.co/gKWYPbYjw3

— Karun Chandhok (@karunchandhok) May 24, 2021

Max Mosley was also appointed the Chairman of the Global NCAP and played an important role in pushing the safety standards in road cars. He was instrumental in the 'Safer Cars For India' project that was a pivotal point in improving the safety standards on cars made and sold in India. Max Mosley has also attended carandbike's Auto Expo Excellence Awards in 2018.