Mosley rules out motorsport role

Ecclestone (left) did not want Mosley to leave his post in 2009

Max Mosley, the former president of motorsport's governing body the FIA, has ruled out any chance of returning to a role in the sport.

Mosley stepped down in 2009 as part of a peace deal to end the threat of a breakaway championship by F1 teams.

Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone told BBC 5 live: "I didn't want Max to go and it would be nice to have him back."

But Mosley said: "I think my F1 days are finished and I've moved on to other things. One should never go back."

Asked further about speculation that he was considering returning to motorsport, Mosley told 5 live: "It's completely a rumour. I follow it vaguely at a distance. I'm really now just an ordinary fan, I watch it on the television, but it's no longer my responsibility.

"It's a nice idea and very friendly to say 'come back' but the truth of the matter is it wouldn't be the right thing to do."

I pushed very strongly for Jean and I think he'll get the job done, and I want him to succeed because I'm responsible in part for him being there Max Mosley on Jean Todt

Former Ferrari team boss Jean Todt was elected Mosley's successor by the World Motor Sport Council last October, and Ecclestone had suggested a possible future for the sport in which both men played a part.

"I suppose we could go back and Max could be president of the FIA and Jean could be president of Fisa (Federation Internationale du Sport Automobile), running the sporting side," said Ecclestone.

"I don't think the teams would mind. If you asked anyone now if Max coming back as president of the FIA, if they would complain, I think they'd say 'no'."

But Mosley was instrumental in helping Todt succeed him as the head of the FIA and wants to leave the Frenchman to get on with the task.

"I pushed very strongly for Jean and I think he'll get the job done, and I want him to succeed because I'm responsible in part for him being there," said Mosley.

"He must be given a chance to run it in his own way, which obviously will be different to my way and might be better."

Speaking to 5 live on his 80th birthday, Ecclestone said he was proud to have seen the first ever Korean Grand Prix completed last weekend after fears that the circuit would not be completed in time.

"People are too quick to criticise and there are so many other places we've been where they haven't criticised," he said.

"It rained continuously for 51 days, so it put them 51 days back, but they worked through that and managed to catch up. I don't think the drivers are unhappy. You'll always get one or two people complain."

The Korean circuit is the only new venue on the F1 calendar this season but follows new tracks in Malaysia, China, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi in recent years, and Ecclestone sees F1 continuing to expand outside Europe in the years to come.

"I've always believed we should go east," he said. "Twenty years ago when we started I thought that was where the world was going to go, and Europe's not what it was in any shape or form.

"I don't know how long I'm going to live but I think it will more or less disappear as the current force before too long. I don't think Europe can afford many things."

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