16/05/2008
NEWS STORY
The FIA has denied reports in a couple of British newspapers which suggest that Max Mosley has been "snubbed" by the organizers of next weekend's Monaco Grand Prix.
Both the Daily Mail and The Times had reported (correctly) that Marco Piccinini, deputy president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), would attend the race weekend as the official representative of Formula One's governing body. However, they also claimed that Piccinini would be officially representing the FIA in order to avoid an "embarrassing public encounter with Prince Albert II".
The truth, however, is that the proposal for Piccinini - a Monaco citizen - to represent the FIA at a number of official functions, including the gala dinner and podium ceremony, was put forward by the FIA itself and not the Automobile Club of Monaco (ACM).
Indeed, in a brief statement, the ACM has admitted that plans for the Monaco GP weekend were drawn up "some time ago" and that they are based on procedures adopted in January for the Monte Carlo Rally prize giving and gala dinner.
Mosley will be present in Monaco throughout the race weekend, where, an FIA official told Pitpass, he will be "attending in his capacity as FIA President on a business-as-usual basis".
Sadly, however, 'Mosley snubbed' makes a better headline.