World motorsport chief Max Mosley has canceled a trip to Malaysia for Sunday's Formula One Grand Prix race, saying an event he planned to attend was canceled at the last minute, the sport's governing body said yesterday.

　　Mosley, president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), was scheduled to meet with government leaders in Kuala Lumpur and attend a news conference later yesterday that was expected to focus on his support for controversial F1 rule changes implemented this year.

　　But he scrapped the trip when "the local event for which I was coming was canceled at the last moment," according to an FIA statement issued by the Sepang race track yesterday. It didn't elaborate.

　　Mosley, who endorsed the changes aimed at curtailing the dominance of Ferrari and other wealthy teams, said he was also concerned that his attendance would distract from Sunday's race.

　　"I feel that what we need now is to get on with the racing," Mosley said in the statement. "My presence at Sepang would be a distraction from what really counts on the track."

　　Mosely also missed the opening race of the F1 season two weeks ago in Australia due to unspecified flight problems.

　　McLaren, Williams and Ferrari - the wealthiest teams in F1 - have opposed the rules changes, which include banning high-tech drivers' aids, changing qualifying and testing rules and revising the scoring system introduced this season.

　　They say many of the changes will take away their advantage in high-priced technology.

　　Mosley said the changes would be reviewed next month. "The team managers and technical directors will meet on April 9th to review the detailed workings of our procedures at the first three races," he said.