Today’s Mosley exclusive in the Daily Telegraph marks the beginning of what will be a carefully staged public relations campaign to rehabilitate Max’s image after he was caught in a sordid S&M scandal. Not surprisingly, the ‘interview’ was conducted by an exceedingly benign Andrew Alderson and not one of the many Fleet Street journalists who have been publicly condemning the FIA President and demanding his resignation. The article had all the hallmarks of a good Mosley interview - more scripted lecture than real grilling.

Personally, I felt the interview was little more than a veiled threat to the FIA national clubs and an opportunity to tout his more positive contributions from the past 15 years. Mosley wants the clubs unsure of how much support he really has and worried that should he survive the vote, there will be consequences.

If this was a real interview as opposed to a PR stunt perhaps Max might have answered the following:

1. Don’t you think that you have brought the sport into disrepute?

2. Why haven’t these people (FIA club Presidents) supporting you spoken out publicly?

3. You suggest that this prostitute is beneath contempt for betraying you for financial gain but you yourself have betrayed your wife and family? Do you see a difference?

4. Isn’t this declaration that you were not planning to continue past 2009 a political strategy aimed at appeasing the clubs who might otherwise want to vote against your continuation? Isn’t this a gambit to allow you to leave on your own terms?

5. Don’t you believe that this incident has hurt the reputation of the FIA and motor sports? Are you willing to put your personal reputation above the interests of the Federation and sport?

Max, if you’d kindly oblige me with the answers to these questions, perhaps I might at least understand your flawed logic if not your sheer bloodymindedness.

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