Merry Christmas, Max 22/12/2007 Christmas approaches and the F1 news machine goes into hibernation mode; all around me the bloggers are packing up and disappearing for the duration, while I wander through the news sites, marvelling at the obscure and tenuously F1-related stories that fill the empty period. Red Bull has a video made to announce its RB4 announcement date and that becomes the lead item on several sites. It's a nice video, I grant you, but...Red Bull team HQBut wait a minute, what's this? PitPass highlights yet another interview with Max Mosley, this time conducted by The Guardian. And it's a doozey too, full of self congratulation and half-truths. Dare I do yet another Mosley bash? My readers must be heartily sick of the guy by now.But, what the heck, nobody's reading at this stage, they're all drawn into the last minute preparations for the great celebration. Let's take it that this is my Christmas present and pick the thing to pieces. It seems that Max is relieved that Kimi won the championship in the end."Relieved because, if it had been either of the McLaren drivers, there would always have been a question mark," he told Richard Williams. "I'm not sure how big a question mark but it would have been there. And that puts you in an incredibly difficult position. I think we've been very lucky."It puts me in a difficult position? Oh, I don't think so, Max - it's you who would have a problem with it. I know that, even if everything you say about McLaren is true, there was not enough time for the team to put anything they learned on the cars. The drivers earned their points without any influence from whatever was going on at home base.Like Mario Andretti, Max thinks that the spy saga was actually good for F1, raising interest amongst the general public as it did. That the public would not have understood the details and would have seen only another sordid episode in the long list of F1 legal disputes does not seem to matter. Never mind the number of genuine F1 fans being turned off the whole thing through the politics, let's count the viewing figures of those who come only for the dirt.In fact, the only one to have benefited from it all is Max himself, his profile having been raised to the point where he becomes a household name. Hence the sudden rash of Mosley interviews in the media. Max is obviously enjoying it and, since he equates himself with F1, sees it as a great boost for the sport.And it seems Max has learned nothing from the last couple of months. "Dear old Jackie" comes in for more insults, being accused of talking too much and being childish. Is it any wonder that the entire F1 world is hoping that Jackie presses on with his libel suit? But Max wouldn't know about that - he never listens.Then we come to Max's delight in new technologies and directions for the sport. This from the man who pushed through the ten year engine freeze. I have said enough about that particular item on his agenda and will move on quickly.And it's back to the spy saga, this time his dodgy justification for allowing Renault to escape scot free after his draconian punishment of McLaren. Anyone who has read the transcript can only be amazed at the similarities in the two cases but Max maintains that they were completely different. Why? It's all in coming clean, apparently. He repeats the lie that Renault supplied everything immediately, whereas even the judgement itself mentions that they began by denying that the information infiltrated the company. This is followed by the usual statement that McLaren lied in the beginning - ignoring the possibility that Ron Dennis may well have believed what he was saying at the time.We know that Max thinks Ron is a liar and does not believe he knew nothing of the Coughlan information reaching into his company; but that is his opinion and not necessarily true. Any argument constructed on that basis must be suspect, therefore. This is what concerns Max, however - apparently any "hard-nosed lawyer or policeman" would not believe Ron either.It may come as news to Max, but it does not matter what he or anyone else thinks about Ron's veracity. All that matters is the truth and, if you can't prove that he knew about the info, you have no right to base a legal argument on the supposition that he did.But it's the same old ground, isn't it? Since Max doesn't listen, he will continue to spout his warped view of things and I will get annoyed enough to comment, probably until both of us have departed for that great street circuit in the sky (it's a cross between Monaco and Macau, I'm sure). And F1 will plod on into an uncertain future, hopefully not damaged too much by Max's determination to ruin it.Amusing to think that, with a bit of luck, there are a couple of legal cases coming up that might see "dear old Max" put out to grass. Go get him, Jackie, and don't back down, Martin!
Clive
Alianora La Canta There I was, thinking whether to do my blog post on Max's latest iteration of the same worn-out theme, when I read this. Thank you for putting what I was thinking into words, Clive. Now I've just got to think of something else to do for today's blog post ;) Date Added: 22/12/2007
Number 38 I just read the Guardian interview with MadMax and was thinking ..... I can't wait to tell Clive about this one" ..... and it would seem you were typing while I was reading. You passed me in turn three! It's no "Mosley bash", it's the TRUTH! The man is mad and MUST go, anyone but Mosley. Mom would immediately warn me........becareful what you wish for "anybody" could be worse. Not this time Mom. The line that caps the story is his last remark, "... the only thing that keeps me doing it is new ideas and new technologies and steering the thing in a sensible direction." NEW IDEAS? Like a 10 year engine freeze. NEW TECHNOLOGIES? Like a standardized ECU. SENSIBLE DIRECTION? Like backwards. Anybody but MadMax. Date Added: 22/12/2007
verasaki One would think that after a seaon like this last a responsible head of a sporting body would be giving interviews with a positive tone accentuating the rapid approach of the 2008 season and putting the last one firmly and as distantly as possible in the past. I don't get it, actually. I certainly don't trust it. Is he just another megalomaniac or it possible there something else going on within the FIA? And is Mosely working on getting Dennis off the scene? Because I'll be honest, not that I'm a Dennis fan or anything like, but he was one of the few people I could think of as a possible replacement for Mosely. I skimmed the interview but, I really can't waste much time on the guy. He's just way too consumed by his own sense of importance to be an even remotely interesting read. He doesn't really say anything. Date Added: 22/12/2007
patrick So Max thinks that "any "hard-nosed lawyer or policeman" would not believe Ron either."Well that is as may be, but as someone who spends a lot of time around hard-nosed lawyers and policeman, I can assure you they would quickly conclude there was nothing like enough evidence to convict in a court of law, and would quietly move on and do something more useful with their time. But then most police and lawyers don't have the privilege of having all but appointed the judges... Date Added: 22/12/2007
Clive Well, it seems a few of you have managed to slip away from Christmas shopping after all! And not quite able to resist a last swipe at Max too. ;)The thing is, he makes it so easy, setting himself up as the only one who knows anything about F1, that he is bound to get a lot of flak for his efforts. Any real politician would be working the strings of the delegates from behind the scenes but not our Max - it seems he enjoys the limelight a little too much for that.And maybe that's what this is really about, Vera: Max's ego, pure and simple. Maybe that's why he was so ready to call time when McLaren sent the letter of apology. With that under his belt, he can appear vindicated to the world and go on chat shows for ever after to strut his stuff.Oh dear, what a terrible thought... Date Added: 22/12/2007
Steven Roy I hadn't come across this interview but it looks like Max's usual warped view of the world.I love that he bought the lie that Renault immediately came clean. They received the McLaren info before McLaren received the Ferrari info but they didn't come clean about it until they were outed when Flav couldn't keep his mouth shut after the McLaren verdict. They also waited until ten months after they used the McLaren info to protest the J-damper.I assume these hard-nosed lawyers and cops area going to buy the Renault collective amnesia act. Don't think so. Presumably on receiving an open letter from Nigel Stepney they are not going investigate his allegation that he was receiving info in return. Not to mention Toyota or Colin Kolles. Date Added: 22/12/2007
Clive Yes, more of the same, Steven. Amazing how selective Max's memory is. Date Added: 22/12/2007
Pink Peril Oh dear, Max & reality are clearly no longer on speaking terms.All I can say is push on Sir Jackie & Martin Brundle - a couple of court cases might just be the impetus to getting rid of this moron.And I'd believe Ron Dennis over Mad Max anyday. Man, it sucks having to work today !! Date Added: 23/12/2007
Clive Working the Sunday before Christmas? Some things should just not be allowed! Must have been Max's idea in the first place... Date Added: 23/12/2007
Alianora La Canta Could be worse... ...my dad has to work Christmas Eve, and he considers himself lucky because over half the staff where he works have to work Christmas Day and Boxing Day too (due to Dad's workplace being an old people's home, there have to be staff there every day, and the management's banning of December holidays is apparently meant to encourage people to "not let the side down"). Date Added: 23/12/2007
Pink Peril It's the 24th already here downunder. It's a pain to have to work one day before 2 public holidays, then have to work two more days before the weekend - and most of the other staff did the sensible thing & put in for leave so it's like a ghost town in the office. But hey, I'm happy to blame Mad Max for the state of affairs if it makes you happy ;)! I like it when xmas falls so you get all 4 days off in a row ! Date Added: 24/12/2007
Dan M If the spy scandle 'raised the profile of the sport' and was 'good for the sport' then how is it that McLaren 'brought the sport into disrepute' with this case? Shouldn't he be docking points from other teams for not bringing up revealing lawsuits? He seems like a walking contradiction.... Date Added: 24/12/2007
Clive Peril: Caught out by the time difference again! I have never been able to get my head around Australian time, probably because it's usually a day ahead of me. My apologies, Peril - and I insist that you have a merry Christmas as recompense!Dan: Good point, Dan - yet another case of Max wanting to have his cake and eat it! Date Added: 24/12/2007
Alianora La Canta Merry Christmas to Clive, and to everyone else at F1 Insight. Date Added: 24/12/2007
Clive Thank you, Alianora, and a belated merry Christmas to you and all who find their way into the mysterious ways of the F1 Insight comments system.I have taken a few days off but it is time to get going again and there will be a post today (if I can just think of a subject!). Date Added: 27/12/2007
Alianora La Canta How about the mysterious way that rumours always increase to fill the available editorial space (a fitting subject, given that all the news I've heard in the last three days has been some sort of rumours?) Date Added: 27/12/2007
Clive An interesting subject - when there is no news, it is necessary to make some. ;)But you are too late, Alianora. I decided on that little item about Jos Verstappen participating at Le Mans. Which made me think of Fizzy and the Flav... Date Added: 27/12/2007
Alianora La Canta Fair enough, Clive :) Date Added: 27/12/2007
John F Clive,Merry Christmas. I was very busy or too busy to read the interview. Actually I knew that I really did not have to read it because of you. So I went about my own madness here at home and let the holiday pass. I would occasionally read my formula1sportsnet (openwheelfan). All the while I knew that your head is exploding about that interview. Me -- I am so tired of this man that I do not even want to read what he has to say. The man should have been a polititian he certainly know how to talk out of both sides of his mouth. The man is a true idiot. I have to calm down I just cannot understant how such a person can have so much power. Pauli principal applied to the fullest. Any way I look foward to 2008 with optimism. I always see a glass half full. I especially want the best for the boys at BMW. I hope that this is the year!!! Date Added: 28/12/2007
Clive Good sentiments, John, and let us hope that Max does not spoil the new year for us. As ever, I hope for a truly great racing season with no sign of the troubles that dogged so mush of 2007. Happy New Year to you and all my readers! Date Added: 28/12/2007
Peter Karvelas With the exception that Max has not enriched himself whilst being the Oligarch of F1 there are many a similarity between Jean Marie Ballestre and our Dear Mad Max, and we all remember what happened to Ballestre Date Added: 02/01/2008
Clive Good point, Peter, and one that Max would do well to remember. Although it would probably be too late to help him now... Date Added: 02/01/2008
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