I was going to leave Max alone today but it has struck me as strange that no-one has yet examined Max's letter of "apology" to the FIA in any depth. The generally easy acceptance of so much of the letter demonstrates that we need to interpret the lawyer-speak a bit more deeply. The whole thing is an exercise in diverting attention from the facts and focusing instead on an irrelevancy. Let us have a look at it.
"From information provided to me by an impeccable high-level source close to the UK police and security services, I understand that over the last two weeks or so, a covert investigation of my private life and background has been undertaken by a group specialising in such things, for reasons and clients as yet unknown. I have had similar but less well-sourced information from France."
First paragraph and the lawyers set up the decoy by introducing a counter-allegation. Never mind that this is irrelevant and unproven, we are supposed to be indignant that some person or organization has dared to take a look at Mosley's personal life. Amazing as it is that the UK police have nothing better to do than ensure that Max's dirty little secret be undiscovered, the fact remains that any public figure must expect that his private life be inspected and had better ensure, therefore, that he keep well away from anything remotely unsavory.
It is no mitigation that the man has been caught with his pants down through some form of private investigation - it happens and, if Max is that bothered with it, let him pursue the matter; it is no excuse for what he has done.
"Regrettably you are now familiar with the results of this covert investigation and I am very sorry if this has embarrassed you or the club. Not content with publicising highly personal and private activities, which are, to say the least, embarrassing, a British tabloid newspaper published the story..."
Pardon me for pointing it out, but it is not the investigation that has embarrassed the FIA - it is Max's sordid behavior. Note the cleverness of Mosley's lawyers, however:
"...with the claim that there was some sort of Nazi connotation to the matter. This is entirely false."
That last sentence is a masterstroke, ambiguous in its application as it is. Does it refer to the Nazi allegation or to the whole paragraph? In four short words, Max manages to throw doubt on his apparent admission of guilt for anything at all. But it is hogwash too. He may have succeeded in getting the videos and still photos removed from the News of the World article but the horse has already bolted - plenty of people have seen them and know that, not only were the participants dressed in Nazi uniforms, but at least one was attired in concentration camp pajamas.
No connotation to Nazism? Only a denial of the whole episode would do and Max has patently failed to provide us with one. Ergo, the video and photos are genuine.
"It is against the law in most countries to publish details of a person's private life without good reason. The publications by The News of the World are a wholly unwarranted invasion of my privacy and I intend to issue legal proceedings against the Newspaper in the UK and other jurisdictions."
Your business, Max, not ours. Good luck with it. Bernie doubts that you will have any success there, however.
"I have received a very large number of messages of sympathy and support from those within the FIA and the motor sport and motoring communities generally, suggesting that my private life is not relevant to my work and that I should continue in my role. I am grateful and with your support I intend to follow this advice."
Okay, so the FIA delegates continue to support Max - who would have expected otherwise? The views of others who have called for his resignation apparently do not bear mentioning or taking into account.
"I shall now devote some time to those responsible for putting this into the public domain but above all I need to repair the damage to my immediate family who are the innocent and unsuspecting victims of this deliberate and calculated personal attack."
Just about every blogger on the net has seen through this one. It should not be necessary for me to point out that it is Max's behavior that has damaged his family, not the alleged investigation.
"You can, however be certain that I will not allow any of this to impede my commitment to the work of the FIA."
Well, we shall see. It might be difficult for Mosley to commit to his job at the FIA if he no longer has it.
I have seen it suggested that Max come clean, admit his fault and apologize properly, just as he demanded from Ron Dennis last year, and I would not disagree with that. The notion that forgiveness would follow such an action is rather more problematic, however. It is all very well to say that one's private life has no bearing on one's ability to function effectively in one's job but, when that job includes making moral judgements and initiating such things as Racing Against Racism, it appears that Max has demonstrated his unsuitability for the task.
Some have argued that having Nazi fantasies does not automatically make one a Nazi. That may be so, although it is a debatable point, but it is clearly not a good idea for the leader of an international organization to be known to indulge in such things; the taint of this episode must inevitably affect the way Mosley is viewed in many of the countries where the FIA functions as the arbiter of motor sport.
The honorable thing would be to resign but it looks as though Max is not prepared to take that route.