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Formula 1

29th Mar 2022

Former F1 boss Max Mosley shot himself after learning his cancer was terminal, coroner concludes

Daniel Brown

F1 Mosley shot

Mr Mosley died in his London home in May 2021

Former Formula 1 boss Max Mosley shot himself after learning his cancer was terminal, a coroner has concluded.

Mr Mosley died aged 81 in his London home in May 2021, and he was said to have been in ‘debilitating pain’.

Westminster Coroner’s Court heard that Mr Mosley shared his plans and wrote a suicide note – with Senior Coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox recording conclusion of suicide, stating that she was “satisfied” he intended to kill himself.

F1 Mosley shot

Mr Mosley had developed cancer in 2019

The court heard on Tuesday that the 81-year-old had developed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma – which is a cancer affecting immune cells – in 2019.

He was moved to palliative care and told he was likely had a “very limited life expectancy”.

Mr Mosley, the son of 1930s British fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley, spoke to his personal assistant the night before he was found dead to inform him that he planned to kill himself.

As reported by the BBC, he had formed a “settled intent” and could not be persuaded, the court heard. A suicide note was found the next day.

F1 Mosley shot

The cause of death was recorded as a gunshot wound

Dr Wilcox recorded a cause of death as a gunshot wound, but aded that the cancer was a contributing factor to the death of “a remarkable man”.

“I am also entirely satisfied Mr Mosley would not have undertaken this action but for the distressing and debilitating terminal lymphoma,” she said.

Mr Mosley was in charge of motorsport’s governing body – the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) – from 1993 to 2009.

In his role as president, he helped to launch several reforms of safety procedures in F1 after the tragic death of Ayrton Senna in 1994.