Almost exactly 2 years ago it looked like we will have full grid of 12 teams and 24 cars from 2008 season. On April 28, 2006 Prodrive were given the F1 entry. Max Mosley commented that “Prodrive have the best combination of financial backing, technical capability and motorsport experience.”

Almost exactly a year later, May 13, 2007, the new boys, Super Aguri, scored their first ever championship point after only 1 season and 4 races in Formula 1. Few months later, in August 2007, the news came out that the team’s title sponsor, SS United, does not pay. From then it was all downhill for Super Aguri …

In late November 2007, it became clear that we will not see 24 cars F1 grid in 2008. Prodrive have announced they will not enter Formula 1.

By the end of January 2008 Max Mosley expressed his doubts we will end the 2008 season with 11 teams. There were doubts whether Super Aguri will even make it for Australian GP. They just about made it to Melbourne for the season opener, but only 2 days later Dietrich Mateschitz announced he is putting his share in Toro Rosso up for sale …

Then came May 6, 2008 and the withdrawal of Super Aguri from Formula 1. This is all like the 2002 deja vu. Expectations of full grid for 2002 season thanks to Toyota’s entry to Formula only to see first Prost and then Arrows to disapear. The grid went from 11 teams down to 10 instead of up to 12 before the 2002 season was over …

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F1Wolf

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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.”

F1Wolf

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As expected, The News Of The World came up with further story on Max Mosley today. Max Mosley said yesterday he did nothing wrong and he keeps denying any Nazi theme in his orgy. One of the ladies involved has her side of story. Someone is not telling the truth.

Whatever the truth is the way this sick story unfolds is EXACTLY WHAT F1 DOES NOT NEED. The FIA president should know that… Can this end now please ?

F1Wolf

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The F1 teams kept radio silence for several day on the whole Max vs. NOTW issue. And then, not unlike in case of F1 news sites, several of them came out at the same time and made themselves heard:

BMW Sauber and McLaren-Mercedes

“The content of the publications is disgraceful. As a company, we strongly distance ourselves from it. This incident concerns Max Mosley both personally and as President of the FIA, the global umbrella organisation for motoring clubs. Its consequences therefore extend far beyond the motor sport industry. We await a response from the relevant FIA bodies.”

Mosley replied them in very weird manner:

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F1Wolf

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Two days have passed since Max Mosley made the news for all the wrong reasons. What happened since then ? Simply put, the pressure on Mosley is mounting.

Mosley succeeded and having the photos and video removed from YouTube and The News Of The World site. The mainstream F1 sites broke the radio silence and published the story. All of them at about the same like if on command from somebody … And then various F1 figures began to voice their oppinions on the matter. Here is the collection:

Bernie Ecclestone:

“I’ve known him an awful long time. If somebody had told me this without the evidence I would have found it difficult to believe. Assuming it’s all true, what people do privately is up to them. I don’t honestly believe [it] affects the sport in any way. Knowing Max it might be all a bit of a joke. You know, it’s one of those things where he’s sort of taking the p***, rather than anything against Jewish people.”

and Bernie Ecclestone again on comments that Mosley may cancel travel to Bahrain:

“He shouldn’t go, should he? The problem is he would take all the ink away from the race and put it on something which, honestly and truly, is nobody else’s business anyway.”

… and Bernie Ecclestone on future of Max Mosley (for The Times)

“What Max should do is what he thinks is right because it is only him that’s involved, not the FIA. He must do what he believes, in his heart of hearts, is the right thing. If Max was in bed with two hookers, they’d say ‘good for you or something like that’. But this, as it is, people find it repulsive. I think that’s the problem. The trouble with Max is he’s been brave and there is bravado at the moment, but I don’t think it’s going to be easy. And if he starts to sue, from what I understand, the chances of him winning would be slim and, the trouble is, it’s just a lot more ink for the press.”

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F1Wolf

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If anyone thought this year will be without controversy in F1, well it was not to be. Only 2 weeks into the season and the new “gate” is on horizon. And it involves none other than Max Mosley himself.

The British paper The News Of The World ran this story yesterday. If the link does not work, then a video from the story is on YouTube and attracted well over 100,000 view in few hours only … No wonder …

Some European papers picked up the story (like Gazetta dello Sport in Italy), but not even a mention yet on any major Formula 1 websites. It looks like everybody is waiting what Max Mosley has to say … The F1 Forums however have been flooded with the Mosley discussions for whole Sunday …

Update: There is an article in Times Online available now, click here

It is hard to tell from the photos and video if the man described as Max Mosley is really Max Mosley. But the silence from him and from all F1 sites may suggest that he may be. If the story was a total fabrication I would expect Mosley to deny it right away and strongly.

So what now ? Will he resign ? Should he ? Will he be forced to ? Or will this just go away ?

Here are few links to other blogs reporting on this story:

Times Online Formula One Blog
F1Fanatic
BlogF1

F1Wolf

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FIA has been in action again. Max Mosley seems to be on track to impose the budget caps from season 2009 already.

“Starting in 2009, there will be a cap on expenditure for all Formula One costs other than engines, drivers and expenditure exclusively for promotion and marketing. Because of the variety of arrangements, particularly shareholdings, team principals’ remuneration will not be included in the cap.”

The budget cap figure for 2009 and perhaps for 2010 and 2011 is expected to be set after a meeting between FIA technical advisor Tony Purnell and financial representatives of the teams on January 31 in Paris. The Financial Working Group is expected to finalize the details of the regulations before June 2008. Mosley warns of different action should not sufficient progress be made by then:

“If the Financial Working Group are unable to devise a satisfactory method of checking expenditure or if a majority of the competing teams do not agree the proposals by 30 June 2008, the cost reduction measures voted by the World Motor Sport Council on 7 December 2007 will be adopted for 2009 in their entirety.”

That would be the radical measures like the wind tunnel limits advertised by Max Mosley few weeks ago. While I think that limiting the massive spending is the step in the right direction I am not that sure it will work. Teams will be looking for the ways how to get around this especially those in a need to catch up during the season. Mosley is clearly aware of that, therefore the warning. I really want to see how is he going to police the budget cap. Especially when 3 costly areas are left out…

The FIA and the team bosses came up also with sensible proposal not to penalize one engine change per car per season. That would mean that the first 2008 engine change for a driver will not be followed by the 10 place grid penalty. This proposal needs get an approval of the World Motorsport Council and the vote is expected soon.  A rare voice of reason

F1Wolf

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Friday, April 28, 2006 - FIA president Max Mosley:

“Prodrive have the best combination of financial backing, technical capability and motorsport experience. The team are well known to the FIA through their participation in the World Rally Championship and Richards has experience as a Formula One team principal.”

Fast forward to January 10, 2008 - Dave Richards:

“F1’s new commercial agreement means that Prodrive will not enter the sport in the near future.”

Two years ago there were 22 subjects bidding for the presence on Formula 1 grid. Eleven came from then existing Formula 1 teams, another eleven from F1 wannabies that included among others Prodrive, Direxiv, Eddie Jordan, Paul Stoddart, Carlin Motorsport, Craig Pollock. All the existing teams, including Super Aguri that was yet to make their own F1 debut were granted the entry to 2008 season. The only spot for a new team went to Prodrive.

There is no doubt that such an overwhelming interest in F1 entry was a result of new customer car rules advertised by FIA at that time. The new rules did not materialize, Prodrive had no plan B and so 2001 is still the last season we had full 12 teams / 24 cars F1 grid.

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F1Wolf

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Well, that is the opinion of Max Mosley. Perhaps he read some comments on this site and replied them through The Guardian .

So here are few latest gems courtesy of Max Mosley:

On the 2007 F1 Champion Kimi Raikkonen and whether he pleased Kimi has won it:

“Relieved because, if it had been either of the two McLaren drivers, there would always have been a question mark. I’m not sure how big a question mark but it would have been there. And that puts you in an incredibly difficult position. I think we’ve been very lucky.”

On the Ferrari McLaren thingy:

“People are interested in the human aspect and the whole human aspect of the Ferrari-McLaren thing fascinated a lot of people outside Formula One. The publicity actually increases interest. So I don’t think it does any harm to Formula One as long as the sponsors and so on feel the sport is honestly run and honestly governed.”

What does he exactly mean by the “human aspect” ? Tearful Ron Dennis or enterprising duo Coughlan/Stepney or the not exactly smart act by Mrs. Coughlan or the childish Fernando Alonso ?

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F1Wolf

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What a bizzare turn of events… I suspect there must have been some behind the scenes talks between Mosley and McLaren, and the timing of both announcements seems to confirm my suspicion. I can’t believe I am saying this but it looks like Max Mosley has proven his case against McLaren… I must say the events of yesterday are perhaps even more shocking than the 100 million dollar fine imposed on McLaren… McLaren team that always denied use of any Ferrari data all of a sudden admits widespread use the information among their technical staff. And what more, the team even comes out with an apology to FIA and announces freeze on development of parts that might have been influenced by the information from Ferrari… Wow … This FIA McLaren Report explains things a bit. If what is in that report is indeed the real story, it shows that the information Coughlan obtained from Stepney was quite extensively used within McLaren, and moreover Coughlan’s role in the car development was much bigger than what McLaren previously admitted.

Here is the full statement from McLaren:

“As a result of the investigations carried out by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile it has become clear that Ferrari information was more widely disseminated within McLaren than was previously communicated. McLaren greatly regrets that its own investigations did not identify this material and has written to the World Motor Sport Council to apologise for this.

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F1Wolf

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