NBC has picked up the story - it was on the lower section headlines of the front page of MSNBC.com http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/23882746/ >8^) ER
Ted, when he first appeared as the FIA President replacing Balestre, I thought we finally had a rational individiual who would rule F1 with Intelligence as opposed to Emotion. However, this guy has turned into something else, first with his rules proposals and then with his arrogance in the Sport. I hope this guy is a gonner.
I don't think we should take too seriously the FIA announcement that this is just a matter for Max's lawyers and the offending newspaper. They're going to have to give him the boot (ha ha) but will allow him to resign rather than be fired. Formerly he was a man to be admired, or respected, or hated, or a combination. Now he is revealed as just a pathetic and ridiculous old fool. He can't run the FIA as a laughingstock.
The man is possessed. He still hasn't resigned yet and somehow wants to keep his job, is he insane. This is absolutely repulsive even without the Nazi element involved, the damage control experts over at their FIA better getter their a**es in gear and separate themselves quickly from this perverted nutjob.
Possibly, except it came 3 days early and the newspaper would have had to have lost its brain because they can expect to be shut down and sued if its false.
If so, you have to admit that it is getting more traction than Kimi with last seasons computers...and that it would seem that Bernie & Max would be screaming "falsehood" rather than "invasion of privacy"...no?
I think it's just a matter of a day or two before he resigns. I hope that someone with some integrity and vision replaces Mad Max . My preferences right now are: 1. Jean Todt 2. David Richards 3. Paul Stoddart.
I was thinking the samething, no way, this must be an early April Fools joke. Poor woman married to this arse for the last 48 years.
I can see Max and Bernie turning this into a smart marketing move. The "Official F1 Dildo" on sale at all F1 venues!
The drivers could all wear those "Nazi Helmets" and instead of the "drive through" penalties we could have Max spank their butts with a paddle!
He will not resign. He will never resign. He is cemented in power in the FIA and surrounded by yes men. The man has no decency (duh!) and will never give up. Even if you don't know all the background, that was all plainly visible at the USGP05: Anybody with a brain would have resolved the issue on Saturday and the race would have taken place with everybody participating. If it hadn't been for Mosley. Not to make light of Jewish organizations, but they won't have the pull to bring him down. Nor does anybody else. He will remain in office until he croaks. This whole story will blow by with no change in power. Just look at how timid and reluctant the F1 websites are: They are all scared to death to end up on his black list and never get access to the F1 paddock again. The only man who challenged him, Rubython lost all his paddock access and eventually his F1 magazine. No coincidence. While we're brewing over this story, Mosley and his yes men are calling in all the favors from everybody to assure his seat. Mosley will remain in power. Just like Bernie only death will vacate that position. You realize that Todt was gone from his position as CEO in less than a month after these rumors came out? He had the CEO job just barely a year. Coincidence? I think not.
IIRC McLaren was fined 100 million USD based on "bringing ill repute to the sport" based on the spy scandal. Their cars were technically legal, but they violated one of the very vaguely defined rules of ethical behavior in motor sports. Does that mean Mad Max now owes the FIA also 100 million USD?
Andreas I think the only support that matters for Max is Bernie's and we all know that Bernie only cares about his money. With F-1 going into increasingly conservative markets in Asia and the Middle East Mad Max will be dropped because ultimately his behaviour will hit Bernie's wallet.
If Max does step down (and I think he will be forced to), I can think of someone who is perhaps perfectly positioned to fill the void.... Image Unavailable, Please Login
Procedurally Bernie has no influence over Max's position (uh, gotta be careful with my words here ), the FOC has nothing to do with the FIA. Max is elected by FIA delegates and he has every one of them in his pocket (bad metaphor again, sorry). And even if Bernie had any leverage, he already stated that he is on Max' side. I so hope I'm wrong on this because I want nothing more than Max gone (and ideally Stoddart in), but it won't happen.
He is the only one who matters really. I'm more interested in learning who set him up? As SRT Mike said, somebody arranged for that camera and I'd love to know who that somebody was. Stoddart would fit the bill nicely.
The list of possibilities is quite lengthy, Mosley stepped on an awful lot of toes. My bet is it is one of the manufacturers hiring a private dick...er...excuse me...detective to dig up dirt.
Don't forget that is was under Max at the FIA that they awarded the Commercial Rights to Bernie till the end of this century. I think it would be a big mistake for Bernie to back Max on this, he should be gone. I don't see a guy like Stoddart getting the position as he stepped on some big toes as well. The analogy of the 05 USGP is a very good one Andreas, it seems inconceivable that took place the way it did because of Max.