Today, the deafening silence that has followed allegations of tawdry exploits involving  FIA President Max Mosley was broken by four auto manufacturers determined to distance themselves from the scandal.  BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Toyota all issued statements that make it clear that Mosley has a struggle ahead to keep his Presidency.

BMW and Mercedes-Benz issued the following joint statement this morning:

“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.”

Honda issued a similar release later in the day:

“It is necessary that senior figures in sport and business maintain the highest standards of conduct in order to fulfil their duties with integrity and respect. The Honda Racing F1 Team is extremely disappointed by recent events surrounding Mr Mosley and we are concerned that the reputation of Formula One and all its participants is being damaged. We request that the FIA gives this matter careful consideration and reaches an immediate decision in the best interests of F1 and Motorsport.” 

And Toyota echoed all these sentiments with the following statement:

“Toyota Motorsport does not approve of any behaviour which could be seen to damage Formula 1’s image, in particular any behaviour which could be understood to be racist or anti-Semitic. Senior figures within any sport or business, including motorsport, must adhere to high standards of behaviour. When all the facts are known, it will be for the FIA to decide whether Mr Mosley has met the moral obligations which come with the position of FIA President.”

If all this were not enough, the Crown Prince of Bahrain, Sheikh Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, has requested that Mr. Mosley not attend this weekend’s Grand Prix in Bahrain.

With the silence now broken, voices in the sport (respected and otherwise) are speaking out, calling for Mosley’s resignation.  Against the growing momentum of disconent, there is not a voice of support for Mosley to be heard.

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Hell of a way to start a Monday morning if you’re Max Mosley - finding out that you’re the subject of a sex scandal involving Nazi-themed escapades and several professional ‘ladies.’ Not exactly how the President of the FIA probably expected his week to start.

Of the legions of public figures who one might think of when discussing sex scandals, Max is not at the top of my list. Still, the UK based tabloid, News of the World is claiming just such a thing and they seem to have photographic proof. Stills of the event can be found on their website for those with inquiring minds.

There are serious consequences if this story has any legs to it and there are three things that will make surviving this situation even more difficult for Mosley: Nazis, political enemies and the FIA anti-racism campaign.

First, Max is the son of Oswald Mosley, the leader of the British Fascist Union before World War 2. Given this, he should know that not only is dressing up as a Nazi and humiliating women ‘prisoners’ in grossly poor taste, it’s going to bring his family past straight to the forefront. The perception will be that, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” or something to that effect. Mosley has already stated that his family’s political past has prevented him from entering British politics. Surely he would know to steer clear of anything that could be associated with it.

Second, like any politician good at his game, Mosley has enemies aplenty. Present and former team owners, national sporting (ASN) presidents and European Union politicians all come to mind. They can all smell the blood in the water from a wounded political foe and will start circling for the kill. The demands for Max’s resignation will start within weeks, if not days, and they will be joined by others who will simply take advantage of a political opportunity. With reelection in October, Mosley is especially vulnerable.

Finally, Mosley’s own over-zealous reaction to racist behavior in Spain against McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton will certainly come back to haunt him. How hypocritical - The FIA President threatens Spain with the loss of one or both of it’s races because of racism from fans at the tracks and then he allegedly dons a Nazi uniform for a sexual romp with prostitutes masquerading as concentration camp prisoners. If true, the audacity is unbelievable!

The coming days and weeks will prove interesting for those who delight in watching a politician in survival mode. Mosley has an uphill struggle and he has shackled himself with imagery that is not easily forgivable. Should he survive, it might well be his biggest political achievement which is a shame given some of the good work he has done in the areas of road and racing safety.

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Most people by now know of the sudden and unexpected decision by ITV to cut short it’s F1 broadcasting contract. Understandably, the ITV staff in front of the cameras are dismayed and concerned about their futures. However, while ITV have consistently improved the show over the past 12 years, there has been one really standout personality and yet his fate remains in doubt for reasons that may have nothing to do with TV contracts.

Martin Brundle, the driver’s driver who provides commentary with the oft hysterical James Allen could be out of a job because of political pressure being applied by the FIA. To understand the reasons why a top commentator who has continually been recognized for his broadcasting excellence (six Royal Television Awards) could be pushed out of the broadcast booth, you have to go back to September 2007 and the political scandal that was casting a shadow over Formula 1.

Brundle, as a member of the press, wrote in his Sunday Times column that the investigation of McLaren by the FIA, ‘had the feel of a witch hunt.’ The FIA, with all the indignant self righteousness of the Spanish Inquisition chose to take legal action against the Sunday Times and Brundle for libel. The suit has been seen as a warning to Brundle and other journalists to consider carefully their criticism of the FIA and it’s decisions less their credentials be revoked - no small threat to most journalists’ careers.

One must wonder if the new BBC contract will come with any strings concerning Brundle. Of course, there is no obligation for the BBC to hire Brundle - they are well within their rights to use BBC veterans but why not have one of the sharpest and capable men in the commentary box. Hiring Brundle would be a move supported by his legions of fans in the UK and abroad and provide continuity for viewers. In short, it would be a sensible decision.

But, given the political machinations that FIA President Max Mosley has orchestrated in the past, it’s not outside the realm of possibility to believe that the early exit of ITV has presented Mosley with an opportunity to get rid of a nagging thorn in his ass. How difficult would it be for the FIA to insist that the BBC specifically exclude Brundle? Mosley has increasingly resented criticism of his governance and attacked no less an icon than Sir Jackie Stewart for similar views on the McLaren inquiry.

As a fan of F1 who, like most, watches the majority of the races on television, I would like to see Martin Brundle picked up by the BBC. He has shown a depth of knowledge shared by few (just watch a Speed broadcast) and the brass knockers to question the powerbrokers of the sport on live TV.

In fact, I feel so strongly that the BBC should approach Martin that I have become politically active and created an online petition to that effect. If you feel that Martin Brundle is the ideal candidate to join the BBC to cover F1 next season please join me by signing an online petition here.

Take that Max Mosley!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/martinbrundle

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It’s several hours after the Australian Grand Prix has ended and I’m still pretty sure that I saw a motor race! I saw some scrappy racing, some cars getting sideways in the corners and some huge crashes so probably yes, it was a motor race! Other than the crashes - some of which should definitely have been avoided by the so-called, “best drivers in the world,” I really liked what I saw. I’m also pretty damn glad that the season has started, I couldn’t have waited much longer.

Looking back over the results and thinking back on my overall impression of the first race of the year, here are some things I think we can all be thankful for from the Australian Grand Prix.

1. Ferrari didn’t dominate like winter testing suggested. Despite all the evidence that Ferrari were going to run away from everyone early in the season, they fell apart - very vintage, pre-Shumacher Ferrari. Both drivers were particularly ragged in the race and the single point Kimi picked up was definitely not deserved. They need to regroup for next week.

2. The FIA got the traction control ban spot on. I hate saying the FIA got something right, but the standardized ECU with no traction control and no engine braking is doing the job of separating the good from the great. There are a half-dozen drivers who probably hate the new ultra-touchy cars and think it’s unsafe but then, there are 1000 hungry drivers out there who want a chance to be a grand prix driver so get over it and start driving like you belong in Formula 1!

3. Sportsmanship. It was nice to see Lewis Hamilton being genuinely happy for Nico Rosberg after the race. Nico was clearly excited to be on the podium (his first trip there) and it’s fitting that after the checkered flag drops, the drivers can celebrate the accomplishments of one another. A great post-race feed from Australia let fans see a different side of F1. After the politics and machinations of 2007, it was refreshing.

4 . Honda, Red Bull, Toyota and Torro Rosso are all faster than expected. I really expected all of these teams to be quite a ways back from the chasing pack of BMW, Williams, Red Bull and Renault and yet, there they were, mixing it up in qualifying. If the first corner melee had been avoided, there might have been far fewer points to take home for Renault, Ferrari and Williams. It bodes well for those fans who like to see drivers scrapping for every point.

5. Three drivers, three different teams on the podium. It was a bit fortunate that McLaren didn’t walk to a 1-2 finish but it’s a sign of a competitive grid when three teams can stand on the podium. Sadly, Ferrari and McLaren will occupy the top placings on most days but with a bit more Melbourne style chaos at the start of the races, fans might see some unfamiliar faces holding up the trophies.

Let’s hope Malaysia gives us more of this brave, new Formula 1.

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It’s a sad fact that there are five teams in this category but all of these teams are facing the possibility of single digit points tallies at the end of the season and frankly, that makes them pretenders. Amazingly, only one team can claim they don’t have the cash to develop a winning car and that’s Super Aguri. It’s a miracle they even made it to Australia but that’s a story for another time.

So, without further fanfare and because first practice is only a few hours away, here are my thoughts and predictions on the 2008 pretenders of F1.

Toyota - How a team can spend half a billion dollars (500,000,000.00 - would you look at those zeros!) year after year and accomplish nothing staggers the mind. Toyota might have deserved to be in the previous group I reviewed but frankly, there’s no reason to think that some of their recent testing times were anything other than publicity grabs. Until this team unshackles itself from the corporate boardroom in Japan it will continue to under perform. Not signing either Ross Brawn as Team Principle or Fernando Alonso - even for a season - was yet another missed opportunity. Verdict: Mega money to spend but just more mediocre results to show for it.

Honda - Apparently the hole that Honda fell into last year was deeper than anyone thought. Again, a racing team cannot be run from the boardroom in Japan. Honda installed a completely unqualified technical director in 2006 and sent a top designer packing. It made no sense but the results were devastating - from contenders to joke in one season. Hopefully with Brawn at the helm and an on-form Button behind the wheel they can turn the corner mid-season. The struggle back to the front is going to be a character builder for everyone in the team. Verdict: More upheaval expected within the design team and few trips to the final qualifying session until near the end of the year.

Scuderia Torro Rosso - The Red Bull juniors are still a driver development team running second hand cars. Bravo for giving Sebastian Bourdais a much overdue F1 drive. Whether either driver will have a breakout year is open to debate though most of the paddock seem to think that the other Sebastian - Vettel, is the real deal. The team have adequate funding but the development of the car will come only after it’s been proven with the Red Bull Racing Squad. Verdict: With the quality of teams ahead of them, I expect them in the barriers more often than the points.

Force India - This team chews up and spits out millionaire owners like a bad monster movie. Jordan - Midland - Spyker and now Force India - the name changing never stops! The team have had some moments in testing but I can remember when Prost looked like title contenders in winter testing only to go broke before the year was over. The driver pairing looks interesting if a bit optimistic. Giancarlo Fisichella has a reputation for doing big things when expectations are low and after his last three seasons with Renault expectations are definitely low. Adrian Sutil still seems a little wild but if he can get the better of Fisi then he’ll be on to bigger and better things. Verdict: No better results this year than what you would have expected from Midland or Spyker in the past.

Super Aguri - What high hopes everyone had for the little team of super friends. Now, bought out by a conglomerate of investors, one has to wonder if Super Aguri will be the next Jordan-Midland-Spyker-Force India. It’s quite obvious that it is not possible to enter F1 without serious corporate backing. Aguri have done almost zero development work on their 2008 car - in fact, it’s safe to say that all their efforts were put into surviving, not finding another tenth of a second. Whether the name or the team remain for long is open to debate and that’s a pity. Verdict: The year will be summed up in one word for the team and its fans - ‘disappointment.’

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