Comments on: Max Mosley scandal: 22 opinions

By: Oliver

Oliver — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 09:32:44 +0000

It just occurred to me to find out if the National Associations have any business with F1 and the concord agreement. F1 is not a nations cup, its a commercial venture agreement between groups willing to participate in it. Individual Nations to not qualify to get into F1, so Max talking to the National Associations about the dangers of Bernie taking control of it was taking it too far. National Associations do not benefit from F1 in any way

By: Alianora La Canta

Alianora La Canta — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:33:17 +0000

Thanks for linking to me, Keith. By the way, I’ve also got a more considered response up at my blog (the entry Keith linked to was cobbled together on a PDA during a lunch break).

By: Keith Collantine

Keith Collantine — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:30:03 +0000

KB, one of the most powerful men in F1 is trying to get one of the other most powerful men in F1 to resign. It may not be over yet.

By: KB

KB — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:27:03 +0000

Put this story to bed!

By: Michael K

Michael K — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:04:05 +0000

Journeyer, you are right, they try to make it go away by ignoring it, not unlike a little child who covers up his eyes and believes that nobody can see him anymore.
They’re lying low, because they are scared to challenge him for some reason, that for me already shows that they don’t want him to go that badly.
If they would speak out against it they would question the FIA itself, or that is how Max would make it look like.
I think it would be correct to question the FIA itself in this context, as the voting system is just a hoax and the way Max plays the members is of course skillful, but has nothing to do with how an organisation like the FIA should be run. But then again, it has never been run in a different way, so why should they change from within?
The pressure for this change needs to come from the outside, mainly the sponsors as the manufacturers are too scared to challenge the FIA as we can see now.
This is the only way that I can see this being resolved, big sponsors need to step up and say that they’ll withdraw from this sport due to the Mosley affair.
But this is game theory at its finest and the chances are the changes will only start happening once irrevocable damage has been done rather than proactively trying to prevent to ever get to that situation.
This means Max’ll stay in power, the media will still talk about it for a while, fans might turn away, which would then lead to a loss of the F1 brand as a whole, and only then would we see changes.
Unless someone significant would actually step up and at least end this farce for their part. Then it would probably snowball in a way that it brings Max down and could prompt some reform of the FIA as a whole…
I’m dreaming, I know

By: Journeyer

Journeyer — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:48:34 +0000

But Michael, they ARE pretending, well, some are anyway:

Toyota has accepted the results of the vote.

LDM has taken back his original comments and has said that he’s “happy that Max Mosley has been confirmed as president of the FIA. He has done an excellent job for Formula One in recent years.”

You can check the articles at Planet-F1, amongst others.

Meanwhile, over at Autosport, BMW and Honda have expressed concern about an FIA split. They have both said that they respect the vote, but want the FIA to act on the instability and make it end as soon as possible.

The way I interpret Theissen and Fry’s statements? They’re lying low, but they still want Max to go.

Your thoughts?

By: Michael K

Michael K — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:39:08 +0000

peterg, you point to something which I mentioned in another thread already:

There doesn’t seem to be any real opposition forming against Max. Most of all the spineless support of Max from BMW (or should I say Theissen) after the vote will have harmed any budding consensus between the sponsors & manufacturers to oust the honourless egomaniac that is Max Mosley.
ADAC and AAA made some initial steps, then others should have joined to build up momentum, with even Bernie sending out signals that he is against Max when it comes down to it.
But no, everyone else just closes the hatches and waits for the storm to pass, BMW even come out and wave the white flag. This reflects badly on the whole F1 community and makes it less attractive for me at least as I want to see sport and not politics of the lowest kind dominating the news about F1.
So, kind F1 community, this storm WON’T pass, and it’s time you get your bloody act together and show some cojones instead of shimmying around the subject and pretending everything is fine!!!

By: peterg

peterg — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 06:08:20 +0000

As the FIA membership is unwilling to oust Max (the spineless cowards) it now really falls onto the commercial sector.

How outraged are the sponsors & auto manufacturers? Enough to pull out? Enough to break-away?

Host nations have him on the PNG list…..but will sponsors & autos bite the bullet?

Mosley may really end up being the Robert Mugabe of motorsport, universaly shunned but ever present.

By: GeorgeK

GeorgeK — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 02:06:40 +0000

Score big again, Rabi. As opposed to his “supporters” whose only defense is either his privacy was “violated” or “his deviant acts don’t affect his ability to run his business”, is simply astounding.

How any major host country heads of state will stand up and be photographed shaking his hand (can you wash those please Max, thank you very much!), or major sponsors inviting this scurrilous scion of “you know who” to speak at a corporate function is beyond my imagination.

Yes GF, my imagination (according to you) is no doubt highly limited by my colloquial ethical standards (or lack of open mindedness) but a scum bucket is still a scum bucket, regardless of how his defenders choose to twist the circumstances of his outing. Yes, I readily admit he was outed, but staunchly defend the proposition that his closeted activities have, and will continue to effect, his judgment.

But I am sophisticated enough to recognize (and applaud!) the supreme power play that has won Max a vote that was rigged before the role was called. An evil genius, but none the less evil, that will either be removed or find the F1 fraternity moving to some other form of sanctioning body other than the Max led FIA.

And no, I’m not feeling any better after my rant!

By: Rabi

Rabi — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 01:02:26 +0000

“Makes you wonder just what Max would have to do have done to get fired. Maybe have children involved?”

Sad thing is that he’d still survive that.