Max Mosley opens a can of worms.

[grantb4]

Wasn't Max the one who handed Bernie the 100 year deal in the first place? With no competition or other bidders.

Nice that he used the FIA letterhead (and probably envelopes and stamps) to further his propaganda.

[Ranger]

Wasn't Max the one who handed Bernie the 100 year deal in the first place? With no competition or other bidders.

Yep... for just $300 million, selling the teams and the sport short in billions in the process.

[Ranger]

He's not stupid at all, he's playing all his cards in the best way possible.

Of course he is. But we'll see how it works.

I, for one, hope he stays, because he is the one that did most for F1, like it or not. And because I don't care about his private life.

"Most" and "Best" are two words that are not synonymous.

Most of Max's rulings beyond 2002 reek of stupidity, and, dare I say, not in the best interest of the sport.

[Valve Bounce]

Just draw an analogy with a giant world circus act. Bernie is the guy who organises where the circus performs, what acts will take place, and who the performers are. He is interested in maximising his profit, nothing else.

Max is the guy who makes sure the safety nets are used for the acrobats, proper safety cages for the animal acts, and so on.

Now when Max starts to interfere with which countries the circus will perform at, what animals will be performing, how the acts should be run, in a manner which would reduce Bernie's profits, then Bernie and his backers would want to run the whole show themselves.

The 6 car race at Indianapolis in 2005 is the prime example of what I am talking about. Of course there are many other restrictions like engine size, number of cylinders, two race engines, you name it........ that might cut into the spectacle of F1 as perceived by Bernie, and which he has no control over.

Now the customer car row has the potential of forcing two teams out of F1. I don't even know who has control over this matter, but it sure as hell isn't Bernie, and he cannot be at all happy with losing teams from F1.

I am sure many people knew about Max's dalliances, and some would have had a very large axe to grind. They have made sure that Max cannot function as the public face of the FIA: no welcome mats in Dubai, Monaco, and possibly all countries with large Muslim populations which hold F1 races. It does pose the question where Max will dare show his face as President of the FIA.

If he is to retire next year, then why not go on extended leave as of yesterday? His public image has so eroded his standing in F1 that there is no point in staying.

Right or wrong, the damage has been done.

[ioan]

Now the customer car row has the potential of forcing two teams out of F1. I don't even know who has control over this matter, but it sure as hell isn't Bernie, and he cannot be at all happy with losing teams from F1.

Regulations about customer cars are stipulated in the commercial agreement of F1, that is the Concorde Agreement and it is Bernie who manages it not Max.
It is Bernie's job to find a compromise to which all the teams would agree and thus make customer cars a reality again.
I believe this would have been feasible if he would have promised more money to the teams that were opposing the customer cars: Williams and Spyker (Force India).

Max was the one who wanted customer cars back in F1, however for some reason Bernie failed to meet the requirements for that one.

[ArrowsFA1]

This whole affair is getting more curious by the day

An MI5 officer has been forced to resign after admitting that his wife was a prostitute who took part in a notorious “Nazi-style orgy” with Max Mosley, the Formula One racing chief.

In an extraordinary turn of events yesterday, MI5 was forced to deny through Whitehall channels that the orgy had been a “sting” that it had set up to discredit Mosley. “Any suggestion that the service was involved in setting up Mosley is total nonsense,” a senior Whitehall official said.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle3953837.ece

[Valve Bounce]

Anyone been watching Spooks lately?

[Azumanga Davo]

Anyone been watching Spooks lately?

Is Max in it?

[Valve Bounce]

Afraid not!

[grantb4]

Is Max in it?

He's in the season ending cliff-hanger that leaves us wondering all summer...