Max Mosley shot himself after being told he had just weeks to live, an inquest has heard.
The former F1 boss took his own life at his London home in May 2021 after learning he likely had a “very limited life expectancy” and was in “debilitating” pain, Westminster Coroner’s Court heard on Tuesday.
Evidence at the inquest revealed the 81-year-old contacted his personal assistant the night before he was found dead to tell him about his decision to kill himself.
Mr Mosley could not be persuaded and had formed a “settled intent”, the court heard.
He was then said to have had a last meal with his wife and written a suicide note which was found the following day.
Senior Coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox recorded a conclusion of suicide, saying she was “satisfied” Mr Mosley intended to kill himself.
She added: “I am also entirely satisfied Mr Mosley would not have undertaken this action but for the distressing and debilitating terminal lymphoma.”
The court heard how Mr Mosley developed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a cancer affecting immune cells, in 2019 and “explored all treatment options”.
However, despite the efforts of doctors, none were successful and he had been moved on to palliative care.
Dr Wilcox recorded a cause of death as a gunshot wound, adding that the cancer was a contributing factor.
Concluding the hearing, she said Mr Mosley was a “remarkable man”, and added: “I would like to pass my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr Mosley.
“I wish you all well.”
The inquest also heard from Mr Mosley’s relatives that he felt his biggest achievement as president of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) – the governing body for F1 racing and non-profit representing motoring interests worldwide – was “the promotion of road safety” and “green technology in F1”.
Born in London on April 13 1940, Mr Mosley was the son of 1930s British fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley.
He studied physics at Oxford University but later trained as a lawyer and became a barrister specialising in patent and trademark law.
In his youth he developed a love of motor racing and was involved in Formula 2 for Brabham and Lotus before retiring in 1969.
He founded a car manufacturing company, March Engineering, and oversaw its legal and commercial affairs from 1969 to 1977, and was FIA president from 1993 to 2009.
Mr Mosley also became an advocate for tighter press regulation in the wake of a 2008 privacy High Court battle against the now-defunct Sunday tabloid News Of The World after the paper wrongly reported he had attended a “Nazi-themed” sex party.
The High Court awarded Mr Mosley £60,000 damages and £420,00 of his legal costs after ruling there was no justification for a front-page article and pictures about his meeting with five prostitutes in a London flat.
In 2009, a year after the News Of The World story was published, Mr Mosley’s life was hit by tragedy when his son, Alexander, died.
The death of the 39-year-old, a long-term heroin user, was ruled by a coroner to be due to non-dependent drug abuse.
