Bahrain snub piles pressure on Mosley
As a few people have mentioned in the comments the Crown Prince of Bahrain has told Max Mosley not to attend this weekend’s Grand Prix following his refusal to step down over the sex scandal. (Oddball posted the letter here).
I think it’s further proof of what I wrote two days ago, that Mosley cannot perform his job effectively with this hanging over him and he should step down, at least temporarily, while he sorts it out. The Times’s Ed Gorman wrote something similar in his blog (elsewhere in the same blog Gorman claims it was Mosley who told Bernie Ecclestone to move McLaren to the last slot in the pit garage).
Elsewhere, a rather different take on the story is offered in The Guardian and Pitpass is sticking up for him.
Satu said on 3rd April 2008, 14:18
Well, if the scandal itself wont’t drag Mosley down, his complete arrogance in crises management will. His response to Mercedes’ and BMW’s call to resign would be of a dubious taste even if one didn’t consider the family history he is burdened with. My only explanation for such a RP suicide is that both he himself and his people (lawyers, publists ecc.) positively know that he is toast.
Oliver said on 3rd April 2008, 14:26
We should not look down on people in their time of misfortune or personal trials. Even if Max has pushed the boundaries of personal decency in his approach to the spy gate affair, we should not enjoy his seeming fall from grace. However unfortunate it may be, sometimes life is like that:D :-) we just have to carry on.
George said on 3rd April 2008, 15:19
I agree that the grandprix.com story is significant. Highly significant. It’s also one of the most salient pieces of commentary I’ve read on the whole affair in the last few days. I’d only just published my own thoughts on the scandal – http://talkformula1.blogspot.com/ – when the story popped up. I’ve immediately flagged it up on my own pages. I have a feeling that we are past the point of no return. Meanwhile, of course, let us not forget that there is a grand prix coming up this weekend!
Vertigo said on 3rd April 2008, 15:20
Maybe we should have a vote on who backs Max and who doesn’t – that’d show how many supporters and doubters he really has.
George said on 3rd April 2008, 15:50
Just on the BBC now – Mosley is calling an Extraordinary Assembly Meeting of the FIA World Council at the ‘earliest practicable opportunity’.
George said on 3rd April 2008, 15:52
Just caught that on the TV news – here is a link to autoport.com, which has just picked it up – http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/66307
Tj said on 3rd April 2008, 15:52
VileHackWriter – nice thought out post on the possible legal angles. Here’s one to consider too.
If Max attacks on the invasion of privacy angle the NOTW can push back on the inverse. He was clearly in a brothel of some description, a privately owned apartment to be sure but one where members of the public are allowed access to. The direct comparison would be a pub. Privately owned but considered a public area, would a brothel (or any shop or store) fall under the same banner – I don’t know BUT if Max wants to pursue this in court he is going to prolong the agony as every other paper is going to report on the proceedings and he would effectiely be trying to generate a precedent in the interpretation on the laws on privacy.
Also the ‘Public interest’ angle is going to drag his whole handling of Mclaren/Spygate into question as the NOTW can argue that it is in the public interest to demonstrate his alleged ‘Nazi’ thought process to scrutiny as they argueably have driven his judgements on punishing Mclaren which affects a large number of people and millions of fans of the sport.
I note in his letter to the FIA he did not deny (and hence accepted) the fact that he visited the brothel and paid prostitues. Argueing this in court is just joing to prolong the whole episode and drag it more into the limelight to the point where he will enivtably resign or be forced out under more of a cloud than he already is.
BTW – I chuckle at his comments regarding the car manufacturers not contacting him before making public statements distancing themselves – why the hell should they? His actions have brought the sport into disrepute and any PR department is going to put as much distance between themselves and Max as fast as possible.
Watch Bernie dump him like a hot potato the second he realsied that Max is denting his FOM revenues.
Max should resign – and fast!
Vertigo said on 3rd April 2008, 16:02
Regarding what Tj said about this scandal harming FOM revenues – Bernie has clearly realised that this little affair will do F1 a great deal of harm in the Middle East and in India, where they have strict views on sexual behaviour and exposure of it in the media. With F1′s expansion into regions like Abu Dhabi and New Delhi, as well as existing commitments to Bahrain and the Force India team, Bernie’s decision to get as far away from this scandal as possible shows that he believes Mosley could cost F1 lucrative contracts. And if Bernie wants somebody gone, they’re gone, no matter how close he is to them.
George said on 3rd April 2008, 16:20
Those punches keep on coming…
Pitpass have just ran a couple of interesting quotes – http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=34352 – firstly from David Richards, a long-time ally of Mosley, who suggests that his reaction to the scandal shows ‘he has grown quite far from the real world’ and secondly, from Nico Rosberg, who makes some interesting, if oblique comments about the need ‘to set a good example… because there are people watching you’.
Dan M said on 3rd April 2008, 17:06
Wow comment 48……
Clive said "The Red Army is entering Berlin. It is only a matter of time now."
I see a scary irony here…. You don’t think that Max idolizes Hitler to the point that he mimics his every trait? Hilter was, of course a coward who as he gain power became more and more reckless with his decisions and would not listen to any of his officers.
Toward the end many people wanted Hilter out, but like Mosley he made it almost impossible to be removed from power. I just hope Max doesn’t lock himself in a bunker and kill himself…. That would take all the fun out of this.
Cooperman said on 3rd April 2008, 17:09
I may not like Max Mosely but to compare him directly to Hitler is maybe a little harsh…??
De said on 3rd April 2008, 17:45
In responce to BMW and Mercerdes’s statement, Mosley said:
"No doubt the FIA will respond to them in due course as I am about to respond to the newspaper in question"
Wow, what kind of responce will it be?
Clive said on 3rd April 2008, 17:51
A difference of scale only, Cooperman. I may say a mouse going on holiday is like an elephant because both are grey, have big ears and a trunk – but I am not saying that a mouse <em>is</em> an elephant. :D
Vertigo said on 3rd April 2008, 18:02
Dan M – if Max does kill himself in a bunker do you think he’ll take his wife and dog with him, as Hitler did? Does he even have a dog?
Sam B said on 3rd April 2008, 18:07
If Mosley had been a good head of the FIA then he still wouldn’t have a chance of getting through this.
As it is, he’s made a hash of it all, most seriously with the whole Prodrive/customer cars fiasco in which he made promises when he wasn’t in a position to do so.
I accept the argument that the things one does in ones private life should be private to an extent – but when they show such serious character flaws as Nazism, one has to draw a line.
The sooner Mosley goes the better quite frankly.