Autoblog

Rumors have been circulating that CVC, the commercial rights holders to Formula One, have considered selling the series. But before that could happen, they would have to give Bernie Ecclestone the boot.

The reports were fueled by comments made by Max Mosley, the embattled president of the FIA, who related to reporters that conversations about the subject had taken place with executives at CVC. According to Mosley's conclusion, CVC would consider selling Formula One if a huge offer were made – possibly by an Arab consortium – but Ecclestone would need to be replaced because "the whole business depends on a man who is 78 years old". However, CVC issued a strong statement at this past weekend's race in Hungary that it had no immediate plans to sell F1 and was pleased with its performance as well as that of Bernie Ecclestone.

[Source: Autosport, Photo by Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty]

Unwilling to recognize when genug is enough, Max Mosley is forging ahead with more lawsuits. After being awarded a £60,000 judgment (plus an additional estimated £1 million in expenses) against News of the World, the tabloid that broke the story of the FIA president's alleged sexual activities, Mosley is now launching a second lawsuit against the publishers. Whereas the previous lawsuit was on the grounds of invasion of privacy, the second action is for libel.

In addition to the follow-up suit against News of the World, Mosley will also be pursuing compensatory damages from German newspaper Bild, which Mosley claims repeated the story unchecked. The suit against Bild petitions for one million euros, plus an addition half-million from its online edition. The prostitute, known only as Woman E, who originally claimed the episode had a Nazi theme, has since recanted and revised her statement to the exclusion of any such connection.

[Source: Autosport, Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty]

Remember the good old days when a prominent chief executive would have disappeared into obscurity after having been exposed by the newspapers? Well those good old days are gone, and Max Mosley is happy for it.

It's been a long and hard road for Max Mosley, but the embattled FIA president seems well suited for the ordeal. Mosley was caught on film partaking in what was described as a Nazi-themed S&M orgy with several prostitutes. He then survived a vote of no confidence in his leadership in the motorsport governing body, and launched a lawsuit against the News of the World, the British tabloid that broke the story. The judge returned the verdict from that lawsuit today, awarding Mosley £60,000 in exemplary damages, plus an additional estimated £1 million in expenses.

Mosley's case hinged on the right to privacy, and upon receiving the judgment (so to speak), the prototypical auto-erotic figure noted that he hoped the ruling would serve as a deterrent for other publications from pursuing "this type of invasive and salacious journalism". The moneys awarded by the court won't go into Mosley's pocket, as they're earmarked towards the road safety and environmental work undertaken by the FIA Foundation.

[Source: Autosport, Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty]

According to the latest reports, FIA president Max Mosley received ample warning that there were those out to expose and discredit him, but Mosley did nothing to alter his bizarre sexual activities in light of the development. The news stems from a Times interview with industrial espionage expert Dean Attew, who claims he had been approached by parties seeking Mosley's embarrassment and removal from office. Attew, who co-founded Titon International with former special forces commander Major-General John Holmes – a business intelligence consultancy that made the news two years ago when former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned by radioactive Polonium 210 – said that he communicated the information to his former colleague, Bernie Ecclestone, who in turn informed Mosley personally. However, Mosley apparently did not take the warnings seriously and was still caught red-handed and -cheeked two months later.

[Source: The Times of London, Photo by Clive Mason/Getty ]

Max Mosley dodged the definitive bullet earlier today in Paris where the FIA president walked away with a win after a secret ballot vote of confidence took place. Of the 169 votes, 103 expressed confidence in the embattled president, who is dealing with the fallout from a sex tape released by the News of the World that showed Mosely being beaten by five prostitutes. 55 ballots were cast against the motion, while 11 were invalid, according to the FIA. Mosley made it clear that he would not pursue reelection after his term ends later this year, something that is sure to make a number of interest groups, not to mention his old friend Bernie Eccelstone, particularly happy.

[Source: AP, Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty]

Bernie Ecclestone, the billionaire brain behind the commercial side of Formula 1, has for the first time publicly called for Max Mosley's resignation. When the Mosley scandal broke, Ecclestone, who has known Mosley for 40 years, did not take a stand on Mosley's resignation. All Ecclestone would say is, "It doesn't look good, does it?"

On June 3, Mosley faces a vote of confidence among his colleagues at the FIA. Mosley said he would not resign, and as he appeared to weather the worst of it, he then turned to defending his position in a letter to constituent FIA clubs. But the letter didn't merely attempt to defend his position; it essentially claimed that Formula 1 is in a major crisis, and using the logic that you don't switch horses midstream, Max should be the one to finish righting the ship. It also asserted that the commercial rights holders -- Ecclestone and friends -- were basically trying to do away with the FIA.

That letter made Ecclestone question whether Mosley "wants a war with" him. Ecclestone put out a response letter saying that there was no crisis, he had nothing to say against the FIA, and he looked forward to the next Concorde Agreement governing F1. And now he's called for Max's resignation. Max is expected to survive tomorrow's vote, and if he does, there'll probably be at least one more person who isn't happy about it.

[Source: AFP]

June 3 is still a long way off with something like this dangling overhead. That's the date for which Max Mosley, the embattled president of the FIA, has called an exceptional general assembly of the organization's constituents to discuss his future with the governing body. In addition to four of the world's largest automobile manufacturers – all of which participate actively in Formula One – several of the 222 member organizations that make up the FIA (including AAA) have called for his resignation. However Mosley, who was videotaped performing a Nazi-themed S&M orgy with five prostitutes, plans to fight for his job. He claims that for every letter of reprimand, he received another seven letters of support.

Whichever way the vote goes, however, Mosley says he'll retire at the end of his current term, which expires in October 2009. The vote will be taken via secret ballot from each of the 222 member organizations representing 130 countries.

[Source: ESPN]

In a letter to members of various FIA constituent bodies, president Max Mosley apologized for the embarrassment caused to the organization by the tabloid report of his erstwhile private exploits. In the same letter, however, Mosley pledged to fight the allegations and remain in his position despite mounting calls for his resignation.

Mosley dismissed the claim that his now-infamous sexual activities had any Nazi connections and pointed to a "covert" operation to discredit him undertaken by persons as yet unidentified through a private investigation firm. The big question is in whose interest would it have been to embarrass Mosley in such a public manner, and the list is long as the FIA president remains a highly controversial character. Follow the link to read more of Mosley's letter to the presidents of the national motorsport clubs, members of the FIA Senate, the World Motor Sport Council and the World Council for Mobility and the Automobile.

[Source: Autosport, Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty]

Despite Bernie Ecclestone's initial support of his colleague Max Mosley, Ecclestone is now publicly urging the embattled FIA president to cancel his planned trip to Bahrain to oversee the grand prix there this coming weekend.

The humiliation which Mosley apparently pursued in a disturbing sexual escapade involving multiple prostitutes in a sado-masochistic nazi-themed orgy was outdone only by the embarrassment which resulted from the public revelation of the episode in the British tabloids. Following the news breaking, Mosley declared he would proceed as normal as if nothing had happened, but Ecclestone says his colleague should think again. Citing public opinion and predicting that the royal family in Bahrain "wouldn't like it" if he came to their country, Bernie expressed concern that the news at the event would be dominated (pardon the expression) by Mosley's scandal instead of remaining focused on the race itself. Mosley's "business as usual" approach may require some further thought, to say the least. Thanks for the tip, Schwag of Tulsa!

[Source: The Times of London, Photo by Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty ]

As we reported yesterday, the Ferrari board agreed to dismiss Jean Todt from his position as CEO. But we wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the Frenchman altogether. Todt has been known as one of the busiest people in the industry, and while everyone deserves a little downtime, at 62 Todt isn't expected to disappear so quickly.

Rumors have been circulating for years that Todt could succeed Max Mosley as president of the FIA, the international motorsport governing body that regulates Formula One, among many other racing series. Those rumors are only intensifying in the wake of Todt's resignation. Todt and Mosley are known to share a close relationship, and the current president is not expected to run for another term when his current one expires next year. The speculation breeds as well on the fact that even after stepping down from the top spot at Ferrari, Todt remains the Scuderia's representative on the FIA council, leaving him with a foothold in the governing body that could come in handy when it heads into elections in October 2009.

[Source: GrandPrix.com, Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty]