Schumacher refuses to condemn Mosley

By Alan Baldwin

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Former champion Michael Schumacher praised Max Mosley on Saturday while refusing to comment on a sex scandal threatening the Briton's reign as head of Formula One's governing body.

"I know Max as a professional person and I really rate him very highly," the German told reporters at the Spanish Grand Prix.

"I always thought about myself that I didn't want people to comment about my private life, so there's no reason to get into other people's private life," he added.

Schumacher has worked with International Automobile Federation (FIA) President Mosley on road safety issues since his retirement at the end of 2006.

The seven-times world champion, Formula One's most successful driver with 91 wins, was recently named on a five-man committee for a worldwide Motor Sport Safety Development Fund.

The committee, which includes Mosley and former Ferrari boss Jean Todt, will distribute the $60 million (30 million pounds) paid by McLaren as punishment for last year's spying controversy involving leaked Ferrari data.

Mosley faces a vote of confidence in June after the News of the World Sunday tabloid published details of what it described as a Nazi-style sado-masochistic orgy with prostitutes.

He has refused to quit, denied any Nazi connotations to the affair and is suing the newspaper -- which stands by its story -- for unlimited damages.