Posted on May 01, 2008 by F1Wolf

Grandprix dot com has a story about the interview Radovan Novak, the general-secretary of the Autoclub of the Czech Republic and the President of the FIA’s Central European Zone gave to Radio Impuls on April 23, 2008. It has been over a week since the interview but it is probably understandable that it takes a while till something someone says on Czech radio makes a headline somewhere else.

The report on Grandprix dot com suggests that Nr. Novak supports a theory that McLaren may be behind the whole hooker set up. I went to Radio Impuls site, checked out the transcript of the interview and here is my attempt to translate as accurately as possible (but no guarantee) the part of the interview that Grandprix dot com talks about:

Q: When you said you talked with Max Mosley about the latest scandal that is shaking the F1 world, especially as team owners and some F1 drivers have spoken against Mosley, you seem to believe the explanation he has given you in private conversation, that it was all some sort of conspiracy (set up). Do you believe in this possibility and what kind of conspiracy this could be ?

A: I do not like to speculate on what kind of conspiracy (set up) this is. But I do believe this was a set up because the recent developments, when FIA following the lead of Mr. Mosley imposed significant fines suggest this could be the case.

Q: Do you mean McLaren ?

A: Yes, for example McLaren. But the team owners and F1 pilots are not all in an agreement over this issue. Some agree, some do not express any opinions, it is different everywhere. Some find it to be a problem, for example the Bahrain royal family, because their religion strongly oposes such behaviour. In my opinion, I do not know, it does not matter to people in South America, because they normally live like that, so it all hangs in balance. I think Mr. Mosley is now pulling the strings all over the world in order to get out of this with an honour and we will see how this all will end up.

If you find the answers a bit messy and confusing that is how they seem also in original . The “yes, for example McLaren” answer seems to be direct reposnse to the question about who is behind the set up, but the next sentence already talks about the whole Mosley scandal, not the alleged set up … I am quite interested to see how will South America react to the words of Mr. Novak once they find out what he thinks about their normal way of life …

In any case, Ron Dennis is not impressed:

“We have written to Mr Novak and are currently considering the appropriate route via which the remarks that have been attributed to him may be withdrawn or corrected. As I have consistently said whenever I have been asked about this, I categorically deny that I have anything to do with the News of the World investigation into Mr Mosley. Neither does anyone connected with the McLaren Group or the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team, and neither does any agent or any other party acting on behalf of myself or anyone connected with the McLaren Group or the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team.”