Monaco GP organisers deny Mosley sidelined

By Alan Baldwin

LONDON (Reuters) - Max Mosley will not attend official functions at next week's Monaco Grand Prix but organisers denied on Friday that the head of Formula One's governing body had been sidelined because of a sex scandal.

Italian Marco Piccinini, deputy president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and a Monaco citizen, will be present at the prize giving and gala dinner instead of the 68-year-old Briton.

The Monaco Grand Prix is the social and glamour highlight of the Formula One calendar and one of the most watched races of the year.

FIA President Mosley is fighting to stay in office, ignoring calls for him to quit following the sex scandal that broke in late March. He faces a confidence motion by secret ballot in Paris on June 3.

British Sunday tabloid the News of the World published details and photographs of Mosley taking part in what it said was a Nazi-style sado-masochistic orgy with five prostitutes.

Mosley, whose father Oswald founded the pre-World War Two British Union of Fascists, has denied any Nazi connotations and is suing the paper for unlimited damages for breach of privacy.

British newspapers said the decision for Piccinini to represent the FIA was to prevent any embarrassing public meetings between Monaco resident Mosley and the Mediterranean principality's ruler Prince Albert II.

Mosley has yet to attend a Formula One race this season, missing the Bahrain Grand Prix after being advised by that country's rulers that his presence would not be welcome. Israel also withdrew an invitation to visit.