Max Mosley rose to power thanks to the support of the smaller FIA Clubs.  It was a canny strategy and completely blindsided then FIA President Jean Marie Balstre who believed his position was secure.  It’s highly probable that the small clubs have once again been there to propel Max past this current political crisis.  Such support usually comes with a price and it seems that the FIA might be paying the bill - literally.

To shed some light on how Mosley got the backing he needed to survive a vote of non-confidence, consider the comments of Dutch motoring body President, Guido Van Woerkom:

• “Corrupt is not the way, I won’t say it. But when you look at the McLaren fine, that is a lot of money, and when you get something from that you are more or less in favour of the people giving you that bread.

What Van Woerkom is talking about is the system whereby national clubs are allocated money by the FIA from it’s coffers for local programs.  Small clubs in particular generate little money on their own and depend on these funds to organize races, promote safety and in some cases, just to survive.  How much money is distributed and to whom is decided by the FIA - in other words by Max.

It’s not difficult to imagine that over the past few weeks many calls we made to these smaller clubs.  The sort of calls that contained a message about the well running dry for them if Max isn’t President. Undoubtedly some got the message.

Others might have been more politically astute and sensed an opportunity to prosper from the situation. Maybe they held out for a political appointment or maybe it was something more basic, like cash.

Interestingly, the FIA just happens to have recently found itself 100 million dollars richer thanks to the McLaren fine.  They even formed a committee to consider how to utilize the money so arguably it can still be used for anything.

In the weeks and months ahead we might well see a number of interesting projects in some obscure parts of the globe.  We’ll never know how each member voted but we do know that 103 of them voted for Mosley.  No doubt he has a few favors to return. And make no mistake, Max would savor the irony of using Ron Dennis’ money to underwrite his own political future.

Funny world where this is not considered bringing the sport into disrepute.

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For 6 weeks, the Max Mosley Scandal has played out like some Machiavellian chess match. Grand Master Max and his unseen political enemies have played gambit after gambit, positioning key pieces and sacrificing others as they approach the end-game. In chess, and in life, there are moments of brilliance and missteps that foreshadow how things will end. What follows is a summary of the events leading up to Mosley’s imminent defeat.

• News of the World publishes shocking allegations and photos of Mosley engaging in S&M sex scenes with five prostitutes. The paper alleges there is a Nazi theme. Max takes legal action against the paper.

• Personalities in the racing world start to speak out publicly, demanding that Mosley should resign for the good of the sport. Several auto manufacturers and FIA Clubs also issue statements calling on Mosley to resign. The charge of, “bringing the sport into disrepute” is mentioned often.

• Mosley rebuts letters from BMW, Mercedes, Honda and Toyota, suggesting that their discomfort with the situation (specifically the alleged Nazi theme) is not surprising given that BMW and Mercedes used Jewish slave labor during World War II. The audacious remarks renew calls for his resignation.

• Max, via a letter to the FIA Presidents and a soft interview with the Independent, puts forward his reasons for staying on. He insists that he is a victim of a sting operation intended to remove him from office but that he has seven letters of support for every letter calling for his resignation. He also reveals that he will be stepping down voluntarily in October 2009 and not seeking re-election. The letter underscores a clever strategy of suggesting ample support to win a confidence vote and gives dissenting members the exit they want - but critically, on Max’s terms.

• Max is told by the Crown Prince of Bahrain that he is not welcome at the Bahrain Grand Prix because his presence would detract from the event.

• Max chooses to skip the Spanish GP and attend the Rally of Jordan. He issues a press release indicating he has been invited by the FIA Club of Israel to discuss future racing opportunities, demonstrating that it is business as usual at the FIA. Within hours the government of Israel, which was not aware of the scandal, retracts their invitation with ‘immediate’ effect.

• Mosley, in his boldest move yet, writes to the FIA Clubs to inform them that his long time ally, Bernie Ecclestone, and other business parties are attempting to take control of Formula 1. Max reveals that he is in critical negotiations that will determine the future of the sport.

• Ecclestone writes to the FIA Clubs informing him that Mosley’s letter is nonsense and that he recognizes the inherent right of the FIA to govern the sport. He accuses Mosley of creating this crisis to distract people from the real issue - Max’s ability to govern the sport.

• Max attends the Monaco Grand Prix but keeps a low profile knowing that the Royal Family does not want to be seen with him. Despite his ‘business as usual’ bravado, several key figures decline his meeting requests and it becomes obvious that he is a lame duck President.

• Finally, with a vote of confidence only days away, Max’s most powerful supporter, Bernie Ecclestone, states publicly in the press that Mosley must step down. It is a crushing blow to Max and comes when there is little time to recover.

Max played a sensible strategy in the beginning but as the opposition grew his moves have become more desperate and erratic, culminating with the attack on Ecclestone. Where one initially got the sense that Max would win a difficult but achievable victory, it now feels like the winds of fortune have changed and he is facing a complete and utterly devastating defeat.

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I like Top Gear. I really do because it’s great entertainment. That’s exactly why the show’s cast does not belong in F1 and why the BBC needs to rethink their rumored decision to include them in it’s 2009 F1 presentations.

First, sport should be entertaining, but not entertainment. Top Gear is as much about the witty one-liners from Jeremy Clarkson as it is the cars. In reality, the cars on Top Gear are just props for satirical automotive commentary - not that there’s anything wrong with that, it just doesn’t have any place in sports broadcasting. Fans expect informed and objective analysis of what’s happening on the track when it happens. That’s not something that they’re going to get from the Top Gear crew.

Second, the cars are the stars of the show, not the celebs in the broadcast booth. Bernie Ecclestone might disagree, but fans tune into F1 to see the cars (and drivers) not TV types. Most established entertainers would admit to not wanting to play second fiddle to a bunch of noisy cars following one another around in circles. Who can blame them but that’s the job.

Finally there’s the man, Jeremy Clarkson. A lot of what he says is right on the money – especially about F1 being sterile and boring but it’s hard to see him promoting a product he has so many problems with.  Absolutely there are things wrong with F1 but reminding the audience of them every two weeks will not grow the viewership.

A true fan is needed in the broadcast booth that both knows and loves F1 and is prepared to be the unofficial ambassador of the sport. Handing the microphone to anyone not relishing that role is a dire mistake.

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Monaco, the crown jewel of the Formula 1 season is unlike any other challenge on the calendar. Drivers guide their seriously overpowered cars through narrow winding canyons of asphalt and steel Armco - a track that has changed little since the 1920’s. While some drivers might think the place outdated and unsafe for modern F1, not a driver will be found who doesn’t desperately want to win it.

Monaco is as much a matter of survival as winning. Even a small mistake can result in a driver destroying his car and passing on the track is next to impossible. Success requires an aggressive qualifying lap on Saturday with an equal amount of respect and discretion needed to make it to the end of the race on Sunday. Still, even that is often not enough: some of the sport’s greatest drivers have never tasted the champagne of victory on the streets of the Principality.

Of the drivers to win Monaco, only three men have won so frequently on the city streets that they might call the tiny kingdom their own. Graham Hill; Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher: the Monaco Masters.

Hill was the first to hold the moniker of ‘Mr. Monaco’ with his frequent wins in the 1960’s. He took five wins between ‘63 and ‘69, never qualifying lower than fourth in a winning year. Hill’s rivals at the time included Jackie Stewart, Jim Clark, and Jack Brabham.

Eighteen years later a Brazilian by the name of Ayrton Senna began his campaign to own the streets of Monaco. Senna would eventually claim a record setting six wins in the Principality before his death in 1994. More remarkable were Senna’s qualifying laps sometimes a second a lap faster than anyone else. Monaco is also where Senna nearly one his first race (the race was stopped early because of heavy rain as Ayrton was catching eventual winner Alain Prost) and marked the rookie as a rising star.

After Senna’s death, Michael Schumacher immediately began his conquest of F1 and Monaco. In a career lasting 16 seasons, Schumacher accepted the winner’s trophy five times from the Grimaldi Royal Family. Though Senna’s record was within reach, mechanical retirements and sporting penalties prevented Michael from taking it.

With a new generation of drivers emerging it remains to be seen if any of them will join this distinguished group and become a Monaco Master.

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Fear. Uncertainty. Doubt. FUD is a common acronym in the computer world, most often associated with Microsoft, the large monopolistic company hell-bent on controlling the software market. Microsoft often uses FUD to convince potential customers of the dangers of purchasing products from or partnering with a rival. They argue that you are always safer staying with a known product and avoiding the risk and uncertainty of change. This is also the latest tactic initiated by Max Mosley in his increasingly desperate campaign to remain in power as FIA President.

In a letter to all the FIA Club Presidents, Max plays the fear, uncertainty and doubt card by suggesting that great harm could come to the FIA should he be removed from power via a scheduled non-confidence vote on June 3.

First, he suggests that the members should fear losing their control over Formula 1 to Big Business. Mosley paints a dark future in which the FIA loses control of F1 to the Commercial Rights Holders. This shadow cabinet of business interests would then decide the rules governing the sport. Unbeknown to the members, this attack on the FIA is occurring right now and Max is doing all he can to hold the line.

Curiously, the letter does not explain why members should not be suspicious of the timing of the information, this being the first mention of a hostile takeover. Second, it does not explain to what degree members currently have any real control over Formula 1. In truth, the autocratic Mosley has always wielded the real power of the organization.

Next, Mosley mentions several challenges facing the FIA including the aforementioned F1 takeover, the future of the WRC and the potential divorce between the sporting and mobility clubs. He suggests possible solutions to these problems that imply that without the leadership of an experienced hand who understands the issues, there is much uncertainly ahead for the FIA.

Finally, should you be someone who thinks that there is just as capable a candidate out there who could rise to these challenges Max has some bad news for you. Just the process of choosing a new President could very well put the FIA at risk - members might inadvertently elect a ‘Manchurian-like’ candidate controlled by the very forces that seek to undermine the organization. No one can be trusted! Doubt all who might seek power! Trust Max, who you know, from reading the letter, has fought the good fight on behalf of the FIA for years and years.

The underlying message from Max is clear. “Let me do the job until I retire next year because, frankly, no one else can handle all of these challenges better than I can and the chances of you electing someone even worse than me are almost guaranteed.”

The argument has some logic to it, but only if you’re willing to believe that Max himself wasn’t helped into power by individuals with commercial agendas and that many of the problems facing the FIA at the moment are not a direct consequence of his experienced leadership.

I believe that it’s questionable that the future of Formula 1 is so closely tied to Mosley’s own fate. He has done much for the sport but he is not the sport. My hope is that I’m proven right on June 3.

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