(from autosport) Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has said he will defend his corner in the battle for the future of the sport if FIA president Max Mosley wants a fight over it. Reacting to a letter Mosley wrote to national automobile clubs last week, ahead of the FIA Extraordinary General Assembly meeting on June 3 to decide his future, the Briton warned that the governing body risked losing control of F1 to commercial rights holders Ecclestone and CVC partners if he was forced from office. Ecclestone has said he was taken aback by those suggestions and has revealed that CVC is to follow up Mosley's letter with their own explanation of the situation. "I sincerely hope that it isn't a declaration of war because, if that's what the message should be, then we'll have to defend ourselves," Ecclestone told The Times. "That is what anyone would do. I don't believe that's what Max wanted the letter to say. I don't want to have a war with Max. I hope he doesn't want one with me. "This whole business is really about what was printed in the News of the World and whether this in any way damaged the FIA clubs or the FIA - that's all. "It's nothing to do with anything else and I don't quite know why he's come out and said these things. I am sorry if the press have reported things which he doesn't like, but we certainly don't have any influence over the FIA." Ecclestone revealed that CVC had held a meeting to discuss Mosley's stance and agreed to write a letter to the automobile clubs themselves to set the record straight. "We have decided we are going to contact all the clubs who Max wrote to, with a reply to the matters raised in his letter," Ecclestone said. "I think the General Assembly of the FIA was called for one reason only - to decide whether or not they think Max is the right person to be their president. The vote will be on that, not about the Concorde Agreement." Mosley is to attend this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, which will be his first time in the paddock since the News of the World made allegations about his private life.
Mad Max really doesn't know when to give up does he? Going up against Bernie is just not a good idea. He's as good as gone.
Max has the title, the intellectual rights and the rule book for him Bernie has the business. Max represents the FIA, an international sport federation covering ALL aspects of motorsports. Bernie is the CEO of a company just engaged in F1. The way things are, none can do anything without the other.
That was the case before Max got caught. I am pretty confident he will be voted out as president of the FIA. Bernie was his only ally in this sex scandal. Max has really screwed himself.
'Bernie is the CEO of a company just engaged in F1'..... This is the most important aspect. The intellectual rights, rule book etc don't mean squat without Bernie; and the mega $$ that his operation delivers to the FIA. That would be like the NFL without any teams. Bernie has the $$, which means he has the power. Like the old saying 'Follow the money'.... Max is toast........... Kevin S. Orchard Park, NY
I think we're missing the picture here. Max is saying it's all about him vs. CVC. Bernie is saying that it isn't, that the vote should only be about Max's conduct and he and CVC are sending a letter to the automobile clubs saying so. That's a big blow to Max and his bait and switch defense. For Bernie to come out and say to the FIA "look you guys don't really have anything to worry about" pulls the rug out from Max's position that without him the FIA could loose F1.
+2 One of the first positive things the evil pygmy has done in years IMHO. I'd have to agree - Mad Max is done if he goes up against Bernie.
I think this is a well orchestrated play that both of them are involved in... I know and there was a 3rd shooter behind the grassy knole... Really think about it, these two guys have known each other for years like 30 years, Mosley is under attack, and most likely will go, so who better to be the savior of the FIA, but lord Ecclestone him self. I think this is just to put pressure on all the teams so they will go along as well as the other "FIA" delegates, who are all mostly in Ecclestones pocket... or Ferrari's pocket... If my spider sense is right its about money to Mosley, and how he can leave the FIA as rich as possible. You cant tell me that he does not profit from his positon at the FIA... with all these 3rd world GP's ... Please!... road safety? who cares! that means nothing ... the FIA is about money for the back office guys, the good ole boy's club... used to be French, now its English... most likely going to be Italian - Piccini after Mosley. I think that is what is going on. Ecclestone needs a smoke screen to get his pal Mosley some $$$ for retirement and or a cushy place to be once he is gone.
(from autosport) Ecclestone plays down talk of Mosley feud Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone believes FIA president Max Mosley is using concerns about the future of the sport as a 'smokescreen' to divert attention away from talk about his own position. Mosley wrote to the presidents of national automobile clubs last week telling them that the FIA risked losing control of F1 if he was forced out of office at the June 3 General Assembly meeting. He claimed that he was locked in hard negotiations with F1's commercial rights holders, Bernie Ecclestone and financial backers CVC Capital Partners, to prevent the FIA losing control of F1's regulations and a veto to any potential future sale. But Ecclestone has moved to play down talk of a feud between himself and Mosley, and suggested that the talking up of the issue is purely to shift the focus away from the controversy about Mosley's private life. "Max is at the moment is blowing a bit of a smokescreen to stop all the other nonsense," said Ecclestone. "He is going to say whatever he thinks is the right thing to say. "The bottom line is simple: if this incident had not happened to him, which is totally private, would he have informed the clubs in the way that he has informed them?" When asked if he was at war with Mosley, Ecclestone said: "No, I don't think so." Ecclestone has claimed that there is no need for discussions about the future of F1 - even though Mosley claims that the commercial rights holders have asked for a renegotiation of the 100-year commercial rights deal. "Well we know what the future of F1 is, there is nothing that needs to be discussed," he said. Ecclestone said earlier this week that CVC were set to write their own letter to the national automobile clubs explaining their version of what was going on. He explained on Thursday, however, that that letter had not been written yet. When asked if was going to happen this weekend, Ecclestone said: "We will see." CVC's managing partner Donald McKenzie is due to attend this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, where he is likely to shed more light on his view of the situation.
I had the impression that Max would be able to just sit it out with the FIA meeting being so late, but now starting to throw mud on Bernie is the best way for him to lose his position.
